^^ 


1.x  Gr  VtilHi 


A    51  AN  U  ALAN 


■^; 


APR  20  1912 


CHRISTIAN  SABBATH, 

BY  JOHN    HOLIVIES  AGNEW. 


WITH 

AN   INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY, 


BT     THE 

REV.    S.^  MILLER,  D.D. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 

No.   265   CnESTXUT   STREET. 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1852,  by 

Alexander    W.    Mitchell,  M.  D. 

In  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  for  the 
Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY, 

BY  SAMUEL  MILLER,  D.  D. 

PROFESSOR    OF   ECCLKSIASTICAL   HISTORY    AND    CHURCH    GOVERN 

MENT   IN   THE   THEOLOGICAL  •EMINARY 

AT    PRINCETON,    N.  J. 


Ix  our  inquiries  concerning  the  Christian  Sabbath, 
few  things  ai*e  more  interesting  or  instructive  than 
its  history.  The  judicious  and  worthy  author  of 
the  following  excellent  Lectures,  ha-s  expressed  an 
opinion  that  the  consecration  of  one  day  in  seven  to 
rest  from  bodily  labor,  and  to  the  service  of  God, 
may  be  traced  back  very  distinctly  to  the  close  of 
the  work  of  creation.  The  reasons  which  he  offers 
in  support  of  this  opinion  will  not  here  be  repeated. 
They  will  probably  be  deemed  sufficiently  solid  by 
most  readers.  From  the  moment  there  was  a  man 
upon  the  earth,  it  seems  to  have  been  the  will  of  God 
that  a  seventh  part  of  time  should  be  consecrated  to 
his  service.  It  is  quite  certain  that  much,  very  much, 
is  made  of  the  Sabbath  throughout  the  whole  of  the 
Old  Testament,  and,  especially,  that  the  Prophets, 
in  all  their  reflections  on  the  melancholy  past,  and 
in  all  their  anticipations  of  the  portentous  future, 


IV  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

represent  the  sanctification  of  the  Sabbath  as  lying 
at  the  foundation  of  all  temporal  as  well  as  spiritual 
prosperity,  and  the  neglect  of  this  divine  institution 
as  most  certainly  drawing  down  the  destroying  judg- 
ments of  God  on  those  who  indulged  it.  This  fea- 
tiu'o  of  the  prophetic  parts  of  the  Old  Testament, 
is  too  prominent  to  escape  the  notice  of  any  inteili 
gent  reader.  The  Prophets  dwell  much  more  on 
moral  than  ceremonial  observances ;  and  denounce 
the  terrors  of  the  Almighty  much  more  frequently 
and  solemnly  against  delinquencies  with  regard  to 
the  former  than  the  latter.  Yet  who  that  has  read 
their  thrilling  pages  has  failed  to  observe  that  the 
desecration  of  the  Sabbath  is  the  object  of  their  con- 
stant and  most  emphatic  proclamations  of  Divine 
wrath;  and  represented  as  that  great  and  radical 
sin,  which,  more  than  most  others,  is  adapted  to  un- 
dermine rehgious  character,  and  to  destroy  nations? 
In  fact,  there  is  no  sin,  unless,  perhaps,  it  may  be 
that  o^  idolatry,  which  is  more  heavily  censured,  or 
more  awfully  threatened,  throughout  their  writings, 
than  the  breach  of  the  Sabbath.  Surely,  such  lan- 
guage as  the  following  ought  to  make  a  deep  im- 
pression upon  every  reflecting  mind  :  Blessed  is  the 
man  that  keepeth  the  Sabbath  from  polluting  it. 
Even  them  will  I  bring  to  my  holy  mountain^  and 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 


make  them  Joyful  in  my  house  of  prayer.  Their 
burnt  offerings  and  their  sacrifices  shall  he  accept- 
ed upon  mine  altar ;  for  mine  house  shall  he  called 
an  house  of  prayer  for  all  people.  But  if  ye  will 
not  hearken  unto  me  to  hallow  the  Sabbath  day,  then 
will  I  kindle  afire  in  your  gates,  and  it  shall  de- 
vour your  palaces,  and  it  shall  not  be  quenched. 
Moreover,  I  gave  them  my  Sabbaths  to  be  a  sign 
between  me  and  them,  and  that  they  might  know  that 
lam  the  Lord  that  sanctify  them.  Yet  they  despised 
my  judgments,  and  walked  not  in  my  statutes,  but 
polluted  my  Sabbaths.  As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord 
God,  surely  with  a  mighty  hand,  and  with  a  stretch- 
ed-out  arm,  and  with  fury  poured  out,  will  I  rule 
over  you.  And  I  will  cause  you  to  pass  under  the 
rod,  and  will  bring  you  into  the  bond  of  the  cove- 
nant. Thus  saith  the  Lord,  because  they  have  for- 
gotten me,  and  cast  me  behind  their  back,  and  de- 
filed my  sanctuary,  and  profaned  my  Sabbaths — 
Behold,  I  will  bring  up  a  company  upon  them,  and 
will  give  them  to  be  removed  and  spoiled.  Thus 
saith  the  Lord,  because  they  have  profaned  my  holy 
things  ;  because  they  have  put  no  difference  between 
the  holy  and  the  profane,  and  have  hid  their  eyes 
from  my  Sabbaths,  andlamprofaned  among  them  ; 
therefore  have  I  poured  out  mine  indignation  upon 
A2 


VI  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

them ;  I  have  consumed  them  with  the  fire  of  my 
wrath;  their  own  ivay  have  I  recompensed  upon 
their  heads,  saith  the  Lord,  If  thou  turn  aicay  thy 
-^ootfrom  the  Sabbath,  f?'om  doing  thy  pleasure  on 
my  holy  day  ;  and  call  the  Sabbath  a  delight,  the 
Holy  of  the  Lord,  Honorable ;  and  shalt  honor 
Him,  not  doing  thine  oivn  ways,  nor  finding  thine 
own  pleasure,  nor  speaking  thine  own  words  :  then 
shalt  thou  delight  thyself  in  the  Lord  ;  and  I  will 
cause  thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth, 
and  feed  thee  with  the  heritage  of  Jacob  thy  father  ; 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it. 

None,  it  is  presumed,  will  be  surprised  at  this 
language,  who  consider  the  consecration  of  one  day 
in  seven  to  the  service  of  God,  not  as  a  mere  ritual 
observance,  but  as  an  undoubted  duty  of  Moral  and 
Perpetual  Obligation.  That  this  is  the  case 
with  the  Holy  Sabbath,  as  laid  down  in  the  fourth 
commandment,  is  well  established  by  our  Author  in 
the  second  Lecture  in  the  following  series.  It  has 
been  sometimes  said,  that  the  fourth- commandment, 
though  it  holds  a  place  among  other  commands,  all 
of  which  are  allowed  to  be  of  universal  and  per- 
petual obligation,  cannot  now  be  considered  as  in 
force,  because  it  enjoins  the  observance  of  the  seventh 
day  of  the  week,  which  is  now  generally  acknow 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  Vll 

ledged,  among  Christians,  not  to  be  the  Christian 
Sabbath.  This  inference,  however,  can  by  no 
means  be  admitted.  The  commandment  in  ques- 
tion cannot  be  considered  as  fixing  the  precise  day, 
in  order,  which  ought  to  be  observed ;  but  only  as 
requiring  that,  after  six  days  of  labor,  the  seventh 
should  be  a  day  of  rest,  and  be  kept  holy.  Strictly 
speaking,  then,  in  this  sense,  the  Christian  Sabbath 
is  as  much  the  seventh  day  as  the  Jewish  Sabbath 
was ;  that  is,  it  is  as  much  the  seventh  part  of  the 
week,  and  succeeds  to  six  days  of  labor  as  really 
as  the  Hebrew  Sabbath  did.  The  fourth  command- 
ment, then,  far  from  being  repealed  or  altered,  is  as 
much  in  force  as  ever,  and  applies  as  perfectly  to 
the  New  Testament  Sabbath  as  to  that  of  the  Cere- 
monial economy  ;  and,  of  course,  ought  to  be  re- 
garded as  establishing  the  moral  and  perpetual  obli- 
gation to  devote  one  day  in  seven  to  the  service  of 
God,  just  as  indubitably  as  other  parts  of  the  same 
code  render  obligatory  at  this  hour,  and  will  for  ever 
render  obligatory,  abstinence  from  idolatry,  venera- 
ting Jehovah's  name,  honoring  parents,  or  speaking 
the  truth  to  our  neighbors. 

With  regard  to  the  change  of  the  Sabbath,  under 
the  New  Testament  dispensation,  from  the  seventh 
to  the  first  day  of  the  week,  the  enlightened  Author 


Vm  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAt. 

of  the  following  Lectures  has  written  so  well,  that 
further  enlargement  on  the  subject  in  this  Introduc- 
tory Essay  is  deemed  unnecessary.  It  will  be  more 
to  our  purpose  to  take  a  cursory  survey  of  the  his- 
tory of  the  ancient  Church  in  regard  to  the  obser- 
vance of  this  important  institution  of  our  holy  reli- 
gion. Mr.  Agnew  has  m.ost  correctly  stated  that 
the  "  ancient  Fathers  of  the  first  and  second  centu- 
ries "  testify,  that  the  early  Church  ever  sanctified 
a  weekly  Sabbath,  and  carefully  attended  to  those 
public  and  private  observances  which  belonged  to  it 
as  a  day  of  holy  rest.  It  may  not  be  either  unin- 
teresting or  useless  to  state  a  little  more  in  detail  the 
views  and  habits  in  reference  to  this  subject,  which 
the  early  records  of  the  Church  enable  us  to  ascer- 
tain. 

The  younger  Pliny,  who  was  the  contemporary 
and  friend  of  the  emperor  Trajan,  and  for  some 
time,  during  the  reign  of  that  emperor,  governor  of 
Bithynia,  in  giving  an  account  to  his  master  of  the 
practices  of  the  Christians  in  his  day,  states,  that 
"their  custom  was  to  meet  together  early  in  the 
morning,  before  it  was  light,  on  a  stated  day,  to 
sing  a  hymn  to  Christ  as  God,  and  bind  themselves, 
by  a  Sacrament,  to  do  no  evil,"  &c.  From  this 
testimony,  it  is  evident  that  the  early  Christians  had 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  IX 

a  fixed  or  stated  day  on  which  they  convened  to 
worship  God.  The  testimony  of  Ignatius,*  wlio 
suffered  martyrdom  early  in  the  second  century,  is 
still  more  exphcit.  He  exhorts  the  Magnesians 
"  no  longer  to  observe  Sabbaths,  (i.  e.  the  Jewish 
Sabbaths,)  but  to  keep  the  Lord^s-day,  on  which 
our  Life  was  raised  from  the  dead."  Cle3ie?;s 
Alexandrinus  also  speaks  of  the  day  under  the 
same  title,  as  a  day  the  observance  of  which  was 
incumbent  on  Christians.  Dionysius,  bishop  of 
Corinth,  who  lived  toward  the  latter  part  of  the 
second  century,  is  quoted  by  Eusebius  as  stating  the 
fact,  that  the  Christians  in  his  time  "  observed  the 
Lord's-day  as  a  holy  day."  Melito,  bishop  of 
Sardis,  who  lived  about  the  same  time,  is  also 
represented  by  the  same  historian  as  having  written 
a  book  "  concerning  the  Lord's-day."  Iren-EUs, 
toward  the  close  of  the  same  century,  in  writing  to 
Victor,  bishop  of  Rome,  says  "  The  mystery  of 

*  It  is  known  to  all  well-informed  readers,  that  the  genuineness 
of  the  Epistles  of  Ignatius  has  been  deeply  questioned  by  the 
most  learned  divines  and  ecclesiastical  historians  who  have  writ- 
ten for  the  last  two  hundred  and  fifty  years.  The  evidence  of 
mterpolation  in  reference  to  one  subject,  is  so  abundant,  that  the 
writer  of  these  pages  would  never  think  for  a  moment  of  quoting 
him  as  a  witness  o,i  that  subject.  In  reference  to  other  subjects, 
however,  he  would  quote  him  freely  and  without  scruple.  This 
is  a]  60  lolo\^^l  to  be  the  opinion  of  some  candid  friends>of  prelacy. 


X  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

the  Lord's  resurrection  ought  to  be  celebrated  only 
on  the  Lord's-day."  Origen  also  calls  the  first 
day  of  the  week  "  the  Lord's-day,"  and  distinguishes 
it  from  the  Jewish  Sabbath,  to  which  he  says,  une- 
quivocally, it  ought  to  be  preferred. 

But  when  the  early  Christians  had  occasion  to 
peak  to  the  Pagans  concerning  this  sacred  day, 
hey  commonly  called  it  Sunday,  the  title  by  which 
it  was  most  familiarly  known  to  the  mass  of  the 
heathen  population.  Thus,  Justin  Martyr,  in  his 
Apology,  addressed  to  the  Emperor,  says,  "  We  all 
meet  together  on  Sunday,  on  which  God,  having 
changed  darkness  and  matter,  created  the  world, 
and  on  this  day  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour  rose  from 
the  dead."  Thus,  also,  his  contemporary,  Tertul- 
LiAN,  in  reply  to  the  accusation  of  the  heathen,  that 
the  Christians  worshipped  the  Sun,  says,  "  We  do, 
indeed,  make  Sunday  a  day  of  joy,  but  for  other 
reasons  than  that  of  worship  to  the  sun,  which  is 
no  part  of  our  religion."  At  other  times,  when  the 
same  father  is  speaking  to  his  fellow  Christians,  he 
commonly  uses  the  title  of  "  the  Lord's-day  ;"  more 
especially  when  it  is  his  purpose  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  Jewish  Sabbath.  In  like  manner,  the  first 
Christian  emperors  use  the  names  "Sunday"  and 
''  Lord's-day  "  altc-rnately,  acccording  as  it  was  their 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  \I 

purpose  to  address  Pagans  or  Christians.  Of  this 
we  have  a  remarkable  specimen  in  the  language  of 
Valentinian  the  younger,  when  he  says,  "  On 
Sunday,  which  our  forefathers  very  properly  called 
'  the  Lord's-day.' "  In  short,  it  is  perfectly  eviden 
from  the  earliest  and  most  authentic  records,  tha 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  from  the  time  of  the  Apos- 
tles, "was  statedly  observed  by  the  Christian  Church ; 
that  the  favorite  title  by  which  they  spoke  of  it,  was 
"the  Lord's-day;"  and  that  when  they  called  it 
"  Sunday,"  it  was  in  accommodation  to  the  popular 
usage  of  the  Pagans  around  them,  who,  in  adopting 
the  measure  of  time  by  weeks,  and  in  giving  names 
to  the  days  of  the  week,  gave  the  name  of  "  the  day 
of  the  sun"  (dies  solis)  to  the  first.*  This  day 
was  also  sometimes  called,  by  the  early  Christians, 
"  the  day  of  bread,"  {dies  paniSf)  because  the 
"  breaking  of  bread,"  as  a  memorial  of  Christ,  or, 
in  other  words,  administering  the  Lord's  supper,  in 
many  churches,  made  a  part  of  the  stated  service 
of  every  Lord's-day. 

As  to  the  7nanner  in  which  the  early  Christians 
sanctified  the  Lord's-day,  it  may  not  be  uninterest- 
ing to  state  a  few  particulars.  And  here  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  Christians,  during  the  apos 

*  Bingham's  Origines  EcdesiasticoB.    B.  xx.  c  ii.  1,2. 


CU  II^TBODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

tolic  age,  and  for  more  than  two  centuries  after 
wards,  were  severely  and  constantly  persecuted. 
During  a  large  portion  of  this  time,  they  were  not 
permitted  openly  to  assemble  in  peace  for  the  public 
A'orship  of  God ;  but  were  often  obliged  to  come 
ogether  by  a  kind  of  stealth ;  before  day,  or  after 
ight-fall.  This  is  evident  from  the  account  given 
y  Pliny,  before  alluded  to,  who  states  that  the 
Christians  were  accustomed  to  meet  before  it  was 
light,  on  this  day,  and  sing  their  morning  hymns  to 
Christ.  In  like  manner,  Tertullian,  in  answer 
to  one  who  asked  how  they  should  celebrate  the 
solemnities  of  the  Lord's-day,  when  exposed  to  the 
violence  of  the  Pagan  soldiery,  replied,  that  they 
should  do  it  as  the  Apostles  did,  by  faith,  and  not 
by  bribing  them ;  for  if  faith  could  remove  moun- 
tains, it  could  much  more  easily  remove  a  soldier 
out  of  the  way.  But  that,  if  they  could  not  meet 
by  day,  they  had  the  night  sufficiently  clear,  with 
the  light  of  Christ,  to  protect  them.  The  same 
author  tells  the  heathen,  who  had  maliciously 
charged  them  with  murdering  and  devouring  an  in- 
fant in  tlieir  assemblies,  that  they  were  often  beset, 
often  betrayed,  nay,  daily  seized  in  their  religious 
assemblies.  But  yet  that  no  one  ever  found  them 
acting  such  a  tragedy ;  no  one  ever  gave  evidence 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XU 

3f  their  being  such  Cyclops  and  Syrens  before  a 
judge.  Nay,  they  were  sometimes  barbarously 
murdered  in  their  assemblies,  the  laws  forbidding 
them  to  meet,  and  the  government  refusing  to  license 
their  places  of  worship,  charging  them  with  being 
unlawful  cabals,  where  they  met  only  to  plot  trea- 
san  and  rebellion  against  the  rulers.  Under  this 
j)retence,  as  Lactantius  and  Eusebius  both  tell 
us,  one  of  the  heathen  magistrates  burnt  a  whole 
city,  in  Phrygia,  together  with  the  house  in  which 
many  of  the  inhabitants  were  assembled  to  worship 
God.  The  imperial  laws  forbidding  them  to  meet 
for  religious  worship,  are  distinctly  mentioned  by 
Pliny,  as  well  as  by  several  Christian  writers.  So 
that  it  is  evident,  that  in  those  days  of  persecution, 
the  Christians  could  not  meet  for  the  purpose  of 
pubhc  worship  but  at  the  hazard  of  their  lives.* 

Still  they  did  not  think  this  a;  sufficient  reasor 
for  "  forsaking  the  assembling  of  themselves  toge 
ther."  In  spite  of  all  the  opposition  and  dangei 
which  they  had  to  encounter,  they  met  continually, 
every  Lord's-day,  to  solemnize  the  appointed  ser- 
vices. Of  the  manner  in  which  they  sanctified  the 
day,  the  learned  Bingham  makes  the  following 
statement. 

*  Bingham's  Origines  Ecclesiaslicai.    B.  xs. 

B 


XIV  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

"  They  not  only  rested  from  bodily  labor,  and 
secular  business,  but  spent  the  day  in  suc-h  employ- 
ments as  were  proper  to  set  forth  the  glory  of  the 
Lord,  to  whose  honor  the  day  was  devoted.  That 
is,  in  holding  religious  assemblies,  for  the  ceiebra- 
tion  of  the  several  parts  of  divine  service,  as  psalm- 
ody, reading  of  the  scriptures,  preaching,  praying, 
and  receiving  the  communion — all  which  were  the 
constant  service  of  this  day.  And  such  was  the 
flaming  zeal  of  those  pious  votaries,  that  nothing 
but  sickness,  or  a  great  necessity,  or  imprisonment, 
or  banishment,  could  detain  them  from  it ;  and  then, 
also,  care  was  taken  that  the  chief  part  of  it,  the 
communion,  was  administered  to  them  by  the  bands 
of  the  Deacons,  who  carried  it  to  those  who  were 
sick  or  in  prison,  that,  as  far  as  possible,  they  might 
still  communicate  with  the  public  congregation." 
This  is  plain  from  the  account  which  Justin  Mar- 
TYR  gives  of  their  worship :  "  On  the  day  called 
Sunday,  all  that  live  in  city  or  country  meet 
together,  and  the  writings  of  the  Apostles  and  Pro- 
phets are  read  to  them,  after  which  the  bishop  or 
president  of  the  assembly  makes  a  discourse  to  the 
oeople,  exhorting  them  to  follow  the  good  things 
;hey  have  heard;  then  we  all  rise  up  together,  and 
offer  prayers ;  and  when  prayers  are  ended,  bread 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XV 

and  wine  and  water  are  brought  to  the  president, 
who  prays  and  gives  thanks,  according  to  the  bos. 
of  his  ability,  over  them,  the  people  answering, 
Arnen.  After  which,  distribution  is  made  of  the 
elements  to  all  who  are  present,  and  they  are  senr 
to  the  absent  by  the  hands  of  the  deacons."  By 
this  account  it  appears  that  all  Christians  joined,  as 
far  as  wa^  possible,  in  the  public  service  of  the 
Lord's-day,  and  particularly  in  receiving  the  com- 
munion, from  which  the  absen.t  were  not  exempt,  if 
there  was  any  possibility  of  receiving  it.* 

Tn  the  religious  exercises  of  this  day,  among  the 
early  Christians,  there  were  some  peculiarities 
worthy  of  notice.  They  supposed  that  the  first  day 
of  the  week,  as  it  is  observed  as  a  memorial  of  our 
Lord's  resurrection,  ought  to  be  kept  as  a  season 
of  humble,  grateful  joy ;  and,  therefore,  that  there 
was  a  kind  of  spiritual  incongruity  in  fasting  on 
that  day.  Of  course,  setting  apart  the  Lord's-day 
as  a  fast- day  was  considered  as  a  departure  from 
the  spirit  and  purpose  of  the  day.  Tertullian 
says,  they  counted  it  a  crime  to  fast  on  this  day  ; 
and  Ambrose  bears  the  same  testimony.  Another 
practice,  founded  on  the  same  principle,  and  as 
rigidly  inculcated  and  enforced,  was,  in  all  worship, 

*  Origines  Ecdesiasticce.    xx.  2. 


XVI  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

public  ani  private,  to  pray  standing  on  the  Lord's 
day.  On  this  day  it  was  considered  as  unlawful  to 
kneel.  This  posture  was  reserved  for  days  of  fast- 
ing and  humiliation.  The  early  Christians  laid  so 
much  stress  on  this  rule,  and  enforced  it  so  rigidly, 
that  we  find  no  case  of  exception  to  the  practice, 
but  that  of  penitents,  under  ecclesiastical  dkcipline, 
who  were  required  to  pray  kneeling,  even  on  this 
day  of  devout  joy.  The  learned  Bingham  observes, 
that  this  practice  was  so  fixed,  general,  and  long 
continued,  that  he  is  unable  to  determine  when  the 
contrary  practice  of  kneeling  on  the  Lord's-day 
was  introduced. 

But  attending  on  public  worship  with  diligence, 
and,  as  it  would  seem,  through  a  large  portion  of 
the  hours  of  every  Lord's-day,  was  by  no  means 
the  whole  of  that  sanctification  of  the  day  which 
the  early  Christians  considered  as  incumbent  upon 
them.  They  carefully  abstained  from  all  servile 
labor,  except  what  became  necessary  in  discharg- 
ing works  of  necessity  and  mercy.  And  when  the 
empii-e  became  Christian,  and,  of  course,  the  author- 
ity fell  into  Christian  hands,  this  abstinence  from 
all  worldly  labor,  and  all  secular  employments,  was 
enforced  by  the  imperial  laws.  The  scrupulosity 
of  the  Jews,  indeed,  in  the  observance  of  their  Sah- 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XVI 

tot  h,  was  not  inculcated.  It  was  allowed  to  labor 
in  fighting,  to  preserve  men's  lives  against  an  ene- 
my ;  in  toiling  at  the  helm  and  oar,  to  escape  the 
violence  of  a  tempest ;  in  travelling  to  Church,  to 
attend  on  the  service  of  God ;  in  dressing  food  for 
sustaining  life ;  in  delivering  man  or  beast,  when  in 
manifest  danger  of  death  ;  in  a  word,  their  law  on 
the  subject  was,  that  every  kind  of  work  was  to  be 
abstained  from  that  could  be  avoided,  and  the  whole 
of  the  Lord's-day  devoted  to  the  service  of  God. 

Upon  the  same  principle,  when  the  empire  be- 
came Christian,  all  proceedings  at  law  were  for- 
bidden and  suspended;  excepting  such  as  were 
absolutely  necessary^  or  involved  the  exercise  of 
important  charity — such  as  the  regular  appoint- 
ment of  curators  and  guardians  for  orphans,; 
taking  legal  measures  to  guard  against  injury  or 
loss  byjire;  or  going  through  the  forms  necessary 
for  the  manumission  of  slaves.  With  respect  to 
these,  and  a  variety  of  similar  things  specified  in 
their  laws,  when  they  could  not  be  postponed  with- 
out great  injury  to  the  cause  of  humanity,  they 
were  allowed  to  be  attended  to  on  the  Christian 
Sabbath,  so  far  as  to  obviate  the  evils  which  would 
otherwise  be  incurred.* 

*  Bingham,  B.  xx. 
B2 


XVlll  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 


Public  and  popular  amusements  were  also  inter- 
dicted, among  Christians,  on  the  Lord's-day,  from 
an  early  period;  and  when  the  empire  became 
Christian,  were  prohibited  by  law,  and  under  severe 
sanctions.  No  ludicrous  sports,  games,  or  recrea- 
tions, however  lawful  at  other  times,  were  allowed 
on  this  day.  The  theatre,  the  horse-race,  the  cir- 
cus, the  diversion  of  hunting,  the  amusement  of 
dancing,  of  luxurious  feasting,  and  every  kind  of 
dissipating  pleasure,  were  solemnly  forbidden,  and 
in  many  cases  visited  with  heavy  penalties.  In 
short,  the  law  of  the  Church  forbade  every  occupa- 
tion or  amusement  which  was  adapted  in  any  mea- 
sure to  turn  a  day  of  spiritual  and  sacred  rest,  into 
a  day  of  carnal  indulgence. 

In  regard  to  the  utihty  and  importance  of  the 
Lord's-day,  Mr.  Agnew  has  acquitted  himself  so 
well,  that  little  need  be  added  to  his  representation 
of  the  subject.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  if  our 
author  had  prepared  his  Lectures  fo-r  the  press 
within  the  last  three  months,  he  would  have  taken 
some  notice  of  a  most  interesting  body  of  testimony 
recently  presented  to  a  Committee  of  the  British 
House  of  Commons,  appointed  to  deliberate  and 
report  on  some  further  provision  for  securing  the 
observance  of  the  Sabbath.     A  mass  of  testimony 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XIX 

has  seldom  been  presented  to  the  public  on  any 
subject  more  adapted  to  instruct  and  impress  than 
that  of  which  I  speak.  Ecclesiastics,  and  secular 
men,  of  different  professions,  were  called  before  the 
Committee,  and  interrogated  as  to  their  belief  of  the 
utility  of  the  Sabbath ;  the  mischiefs  arising  from 
its  neglect ;  and  their  acquaintance  with  any  facts 
which  were  adapted  to  manifest  the  value  and  the 
necessity  of  this  great  and  inestimable  Christian 
Institution.  It  was  truly  edifying  and  deeply  im- 
pressive to  find  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  worldly 
men,  eminent  Physicians,  as  well  as  those  who 
were  distinguished  in  other  walks  of  secular  life, 
all  concurring  in  the  conclusion,  not  only  that  the 
consecration  of  one  day  in  the  week,  as  a  day  of 
sacred  rest,  is  essential  to  the  moral  and  spiritual 
interests  of  men,  but  that  it  is  no  less  essential  to 
their  intellectual  and  physical  w  ell-being  • 
that  the  Physician  and  the  Lawyer  as  really  need 
a  day  of  rest  in  each  week  from  the  toils  of  their 
respective  professions — to  refresh  and  invigorate 
their  minds  as  well  as  their  bodies,  and  to  prevent 
the  mischiefs  of  exhaustion — bs  the  moral  man  and 
the  Christian  need  a  sanctified  Sabbath  to  benefit 
.heir  souls,  and  prepare  them  for  the  joys  of  that 


XX  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

Eternal  Sabbath  which  remains  for  the  people 
of  God. 

Is  it  possible  for  a  reflecting  mind  to  resist  the 
power  of  such  testimony  as  this?  Can  even  the 
atheist,  who  wishes  well  to  the  physical  constitution 
of  his  species,  and  to  the  peace,  order  and  strength 
of  civil  society,  refuse  any  longer  to  yield  to  the 
light  of  testimony  which  indubitably  establishes — 
K^^  all  men  are  not  liars" — ^that  the  weekly  rest  of 
the  Sabbath  cannot  be  dispensed  with  without  deep 
injury  to  every  individual  and  family  in  the  com- 
munity; without  impairing  the  vigor  both  of  our 
bodies  and  minds ;  without  prematurely  destroying 
the  beasts  which  serve  us;  without  laying  the 
foundation  of  disease  in  every  department  of  our 
nature :  in  short,  without  conferring  a  morbid  cha- 
racter upon  all  the  vilals  of  our  temporal  prosperity  , 
to  say  nothing  of  that  corruption  of  moral  princi- 
ple, that  degradation  of  moral  character,  in  a  word, 
those  countless  forms,  and  that  measureless  amount, 
of  moral  evil  to  which  it  inevitably  leads  1 

The  truth  is,  it  would  seem  that  the  great  Gov- 
ernor of  the  world  has  not  more  deeply  or  indelibly 
impressed  upon  our  whole  nature  the  evidence  that 
food  and  sleep  and  temperance  are  indispensable  to 
the  healthful  exercise  of  our  faculties,  than  that  the 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XXI 

regular  observance  of  the  weekly  Sabbath  is  essen- 
<.ial  to  the  security  of  all  our  best  interests  as  Intel- 
lectual,  corporeal  and  moral  beings ;  and  that  just 
in  proportion  as  we  disregard  it,  we  draw  down 
upon  ourselves  physical  and  moral  injury.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  our  reception  of  this  fact,  that  we 
are  able  to  fathom  all  its  reasons.  It  is  enough  that 
THE  FACT  be  established,  and  by  testimony  which 
cannot  be  suspected  of  leaning  to  the  side  of  what 
it  has  been  convenient  for  some  to  stigmatize  under 
the  name  of  "  puritanical  strictness." 

The  subject  of  the  following  Lectures,  then,  is 
one  which  does  not  merely  concern  the  Christian. 
It  is  a  subject  in  which  every  father  of  a  family 
who  wishes  to  train  up  his  children  in  the  paths  of 
honor  and  usefulness, — every  good  citizen,  every 
patriot,  every  statesman,  every  friend  to  the  best 
intellectual  and  physical  culture  of  his  species, 
ought  to  take  a  deep  and  cordial  interest.  He  who 
contemns  and  disregards  the  Lord's-day,  may  think 
that  he  means  well ;  may  make  high  professions  of 
his  patriotism,  and  boast  of  his  light  and  benevo- 
lence ;  but  he  is  undoubtedly  acting  a  part  hostile 
to  the  best  interests  of  the  community.  He  is, 
undoubt-ediy,  exerting  a  pestiferous  influence,  the 
mischief  of  which   may  extend   further,  and   Ifti^i 


XX.l  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

longer  than  the  most  zealous  advocate  for  the  sanc- 
tification  of  the  day  was  ever  able  to  unfold. 

The  practices  of  many  decent  worldly  men  in 
our  community,  who,  though  they  make  no  profes- 
sion of  practical  piety,  yet  claim  to  be  cordial  re- 
specters of  religion,  and  to  be  friendly  to  the  Sab- 
bath ;  and  the  habits  of  some  inconsistent  profess- 
ors of  religion,  in  regard  to  the  observance  of  this 
sacred  day ;  are  such  as  well  deserve  their  serious 
consideration.  They  allow  that  the  Sabbath  is  a 
divine  institution,  and  of  inestimable  importance. 
That,  as  it  secures  a  regular  suspension,  one  day 
in  seven,  of  worldly  labor ;  a  careful  cleansing  from 
the  dust  and  dirt  of  the  week,  and  appearing  in 
decent  habiliments;  a  serious  and  orderly  attend- 
ance on  public  worship  ;  and  an  opportunity  of  the 
most  favorable  kind  for  meditating  on  moral  and 
spiritual  subjects ;  it  ought  to  be  countenanced  and 
maintained  by  every  well-wisher  to  human  happi- 
ness. Yet  they  argue  and  act  upon  the  principle, 
that  what  is  called  the  "  strict "  method  of  sancti- 
fying the  Sabbath  is  not  binding  upon  Christians  at 
present.  But  that,  after  the  usual  attendance  on 
public  worship,  it  is  innocent  and  useful  to  indulge 
in  a  little  relaxation — in  social  visiting — in  riding 
abroad  for  health  and  pleasure — and  in  moderate, 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XXIU 

well-regulated  feasting  with  select  friends.  To 
these  things  they  frequently  add,  the  perusal  of 
newspapers  and  novels,  the  writing  of  letters  on 
business,  and  the  various  forms  of  private  and 
jsocial  amusement  which  are  adapted  to  kill  time, 
and  to  obviate  the  intolerable  weariness  which  the 
exercises  of  religion  are  apt  to  induce  in  the  minds 
of  those  who  have  but  little  taste  for  them. 

Could  such  persons  take  even  a  glance,  with 
Christian  eyes,  at  the  natural  and  unavoidable  con- 
sequences of  their  conduct ;  could  they  trace  with 
intelligence  and  candor  the  immediate  and  obvious 
effects  of  the  indulgences  which  they  think  so  inno- 
cent ;  they  could  not  possibly  fail  of  coming  to  the 
conclusion,  that  their  habits  are  essentially  hostile 
to  the  best  interests  of  religion  and  society.  Are 
not  their  social  visiting,  their  rides  of  pleasure,  and 
their  luxurious  feasting,  adapted  to  turn  away  their 
minds  from  the  spiritual  employments  which  ought 
to  occupy  the  day,  and  to  diminish  their  taste  for 
s^uch  occupations  1  When  such  amusements  imme- 
diately follow  the  public  service  of  the  sanctuary, 
(JO  they  not  t3r>d  to  banish  trom  the  mind  all  those 
serious  impressions  which  that  service  may  have 
induced  1  Do  not  all  tbsse  dissipating  employments 
nccessairily  occupy  servants,  and  compel  them  to  be 


XXIV  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

absent  from  the  house  of  God,  to  engage  in  servile 
labor,  often  as  great,  and  sometimes  much  greater, 
than  is  common  on  the  secular  days  of  the  week, 
and  thus  cut  them  off  from  all  the  advantages  of 
the  Sabbath  ?  And  can  any  one  doubt  that  even 
the  short  hours  which  those  who  indulge  in  these 
habits  actually  spend  in  the  sanctuary  of  God,  are 
rendered  much  less  profitable,  if  their  profit  be  not 
wholly  destroyed,  by  the  dissipating  influence  of 
social  amusements,  or  by  the  heaviness  which  is 
the  natural  consequence  of  luxurious  feasting  ?  In 
short,  is  it  not  evident  that  these  encroachments  on 
the  appropriate  sanctification  of  the  Sabbath,  are 
not  merely  adapted  to  rob  God  of  a  large  part  of 
that  holy  time  which  he  claims  as  his  own ;  but 
also  to  unfit  those  who  indulge  in  them  for  em- 
ploying in  a  suitable  manner  even  the  remaining 
hours  which  they  professedly  devote  to  his  service  ? 
Thus  they  "wrong  their  own  souls;"  injure  their 
servants ;  set  an  example  to  their  neighbors  which 
can  scarcely  fail  of  exerting  a  mischievous  influence 
fo  an  undefinable  extent ;  and  render  the  Sabbath 
as  an  appointment  of  God,  less  beneficial  to  all 
around  them. 

Besides,  every  thinking  and  conscientious  m-an, 
as  he  will  endeavor  to  "do  to  others  as  he  would 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XXV 

that  they  should  do  to  himV'  so  he  will  feel  bouivl 
to  aet,  in  all  cases,  upon  principles  which  he  would 
be  willing  should  be  the  principles  or  universal 
ACTION.  Now,  suppose  every  member  of  this 
nominally  Christian  community  were  to  spend  his 
Sdbbaths,  as  is  actually  done  by  those  of  whom  I 
have  just  spoken.  Suppose  all  were  to  employ  a 
large  part  of  every  Lord's-day  in  visiting,  in  riding 
abroad,  in  feasting,  and  in  the  various  forms  of 
more  decent  dissipation  in  which  thousands  of  nom- 
inal Christians  think  it  harmless  to  indulge :  who 
does  not  see  that  the  Sabbath  would  be  the  most 
busy,  stirring,  and  even  laborious  day  in  the  week  ? 
Who  does  not  see  that  all  the  domestics  in  society, 
all  the  animals  which  serve  us,  and  all  the  indi- 
viduals who  live  by  ministering  to  the  wants  and 
the  comforts  of  others,  as  well  as  those  to  whom 
they  minister,  would  find  the  Sabbath  the  most 
busy  day  in  the  week,  and  little,  very  little,  either 
of  time  or  of  heart  left  for  its  appropriate  employ- 
ments ? 

It  is  perfectly  manifest,  then,  that  if  we  desire  to 
sanctify  the  Sabbath  in  such  a  manner  as  will,  in 
any  tolerable  degree,  secure  to  ourselves,  our  ser- 
vants, our  domestic  animals,  and  the  community  at 
large,  the  essential  benefits  of  the  day,  it  can  only 


XXV  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

be  accomplished  by  "  a  holy  resting  all  the  day, 
even  from  such  worldly  employments  and  recrea- 
tions as  are  lawful  on  other  days,  and  spending  the 
whole  time  in  the  public  and  private  exercises  of 
God's  worship,  except  so  much  as  may  be  taken  up 
in  works  of  necessity  and  mercy."  Just  in  propor- 
tion as  we  deviate  from  this  plain,  simple,  and 
Christian  view  of  the  subject,  we  nullify  the  Sab- 
bath, as  to  its  main  design,  and  destroy  its  most 
hallowed  and  precious  influence  both  on  ourselves 
and  others. 

The  following  eloquent  appeal,  by  a  distinguished 
Layman,  of  the  British  Parliament,  cannot  be  read 
without  feeling  that  it  is  worthy  of  the  most  serious 
consideration  of  all  who  bear  the  Christian  name. 

"  Let  us  appeal  to  that  day  which  is  especially 
devoted  to  the  offices  of  religion.  Do  they  joyfully 
avail  themselves  of  this  blessed  opportunity  of 
withdrawing  from  the  business  and  the  cares  of 
life ;  when,  without  being  disquieted  by  any  doubt, 
whether  they  are  not  neglecting  the  duties  of  their 
proper  callings,  they  may  be  allowed  to  detach 
their  minds  from  earthly  things,  that  by  a  fuller 
knowledge  of  heavenly  objects,  and  a  more  habit- 
ual acquaintance  with  them,  their  hope  may  grow 
full  of  immortality  V     Is  the  day  cheerfully  devo- 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XXVll 

ted  to  those  holy  exercises  for  which  it  was  appoint- 
ed 7  Do  they  indeed  '  come  into  the  courts  of  God 
with  gladness  V  And  how  are  they  employed  when 
not  engaged  in  the  public  services  of  the  day  1  Are 
they  busied  in  studying  the  word  of  God,  in  medi- 
tating on  his  perfections,  in  tracing  his  providential 
dispensations,  in  admiring  his  works,  in  revolving 
his  mercies,  (above  all  the  transcendant  mercies  of 
redeeming  love,)  in  singing  his  praises,  and  '  speak- 
ing good  of  his  name?'  Do  their  secret  retirementh 
witness  the  earnestness  of  their  prayers,  and  the 
warmth  of  their  thanksgiving,  their  diligence  and 
impartiality  in  the  necessary  work  of  self-exami- 
nation, their  mindfulness  of  the  benevolent  duty  of 
intercession]  Is  the  kind  purpose  of  the  institu- 
tion of  a  Sabbath  answered  by  them  in  its  being 
made  to  their  servants  and  dependants  a  season  of 
rest  and  comfort?  Does  the  instruction  of  their 
families,  or  of  the  more  poor  and  ignorant  of  their 
neighbors,  possess  its  due  share  of  their  time?  If 
blessed  with  talents,  or  with  affluence,  are  they 
sedulously  employing  a  part  of  their  interval  of 
leisure  in  relieving  the  indigent,  and  visiting  tl:ie 
sick,  and  comforting  the  sorrowful,  in  forming  plans 
for  the  good  of  their  fellow-creatures,  in  consider- 
ing how  they  may  promote  both  the  temporal  and 


XXVlll  IXTJRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

spiritual  benefit  of  their  friends  and  acquaintance  , 
or,  if  their's  be  a  larger  sphere,  in  devising  mea- 
sures whereby,  through  the  divine  blessing,  they 
may  become  the  honored  instruments  of  the  more 
extended  diflusion  of  rehgious  truth  ?  In  the  hours 
of  domestic  or  social  intercourse,  does  their  con- 
versation manifest  the  subject  of  which  their  hearts 
are  full  ?  Do  their  language  and  demeanor  show 
them  to  be  more  than  commonly  gentle,  and  kini, 
and  friendly,  free  from  rough  and  irritating  pas- 
sions ?" 

"  Surely,  an  entire  day  should  not  seem  long 
amidst  these  various  employments.  It  might  well 
be  deemed  a  privilege  thus  to  spend  it  in  the  more 
immediate  presence  of  our  heavenly  Father,  in  the 
exercises  of  humble  admiration,  and  grateful  hom- 
age; of  the  benevolent,  and  domestic,  and  social 
feelings,  and  of  all  the  best  affections  of  our  nature, 
prompted  by  their  true  motives,  conversant  about 
tlieir  proper  objects,  and  directed  to  their  noblest 
end ;  all  sorrow  mitigated,  all  cares  suspended,  all 
fears  repressed,  every  angry  emotion  softened, 
every  envious,  or  revengeful,  or  mahgnant  passion 
expelled  ;  and  the  bosom,  thus  quieted,  purified, 
enlarged,  ennobled,  partaking  almost  of  a  measure 
of  the  heavenly  happiness,  and  become  for  a  while. 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XXIX 

the  seat  of  love,  and  joy,  and  confidence,  and  har- 
mony." 

"  The  nature,  and  uses,  and  proper  employments 
of  a  Christian  Sabbath,  have  been  pointed  out  more 
particularly,  not  only  because  the  day  will  be  found, 
when  thus  employed,  eminently  conducive,  through 
the  Divine  blessing,  to  the  maintenance  of  the  reli- 
gious principle  in  activity  and  vigor ;  but  also  be- 
cause we  must  all  have  had  occasion  often  to  re- 
mark, that  many  persons,  of  the  graver  and  more 
decent  sort,  seem  not  seldom  to  be  nearly  destitute 
of  religious  resources.  The  Sunday  is  with  them, 
to  say  the  best  of  it,  a  heavy  day ;  and  that  larger 
part  of  it  which  is  not  claimed  by  the  public  offices 
of  the  church,  dully  draws  on  in  comfortless  vacui- 
ty, or,,  without  improvement,  is  trifled  away  in  vain 
and  unprofitable  discourse.  Not  to  speak  of  those 
who,  by  their  more  daring  profanation  of  this  sacred 
season,  openly  violate  the  laws,  and  insult  the  reli- 
gion of  their  country, — how  little  do  many  soem  to 
enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  institution,  who  J»re  not 
wholly  inattentive  to  its  exterior  decorums  !  How 
glad  are  they  to  qualify  the  rigor  of  their  religious 
labors !  How  hardly  do  they  plead  against  being 
compelled  to  devote  the  whole  of  the  day  to  reli- 
gion ;  claiming  to  themselves  no  small  merit  for 
C2 


XXX  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

giving  up  to  it  a  part,  and  purchasing,  therefore,  as 
they  hope,  a  right  to  spend  the  remainder  more 
agreeably !  How  dexterously  do  they  avail  them- 
selves of  any  plausible  plea  for  introducing  some 
week-day  employment  into  the  Sunday,  whilst  they 
have  not  the  same  propensity  to  introduce  any  of 
the  Sunday's  peculiar  employment  into  the  rest  of 
the  week  1  How  often  do  they  find  excuses  for 
taking  journeys,  writing  letters,  balancing  accounts  ; 
or,  in  short,  doing  something,  which,  by  a  little 
management,  might  probably  have  been  anticipated ; 
or  which,  without  any  material  inconvenience,  might 
be  postponed !  Even  business  itself  is  recrec/lion, 
compared  with  religion  ;  and  from  the  drudgery  of 
this  day  of  sacred  rest,  they  fly  for  relief  to  their 
ordinary  occupations." 

"  Others,  again,  who  would  consider  business  as 
a  profanation,  and  who  still  hold  out  against  the 
encroachments  of  the  card-table,  get  over  much  of 
the  day,  and  gladly  seek  for  an  innocent  resource, 
in  the  social  circle,  or  in  family  visits,  where  it  is 
not  even  pretended  that  the  conversation  turns  on 
such  topics  as  might  render  it  in  any  way  condu- 
cive to  religious  instruction  or  improvement.  Their 
families,  meanwhile,  are  neglected  ;  their  servants 
robbed  of  Christian  privileges ;  and  their  example 


INTRODUCTOKY  ESSAY.  XXXI 

quoted  by  others,  who  cannot  see  that  they  are 
themselves  less  religiously  employed,  while  playing 
an  innocent  game  at  cards,  or  relaxing  in  the  con- 
cert-room." 

"But  all  these  several  artifices,  whatever  they 
may  he,  to  unhallow  the  Sunday ^  and  to  change  its 
character,  (it  might  be  almost  said  to  '  relax  its  hor- 
rors,') prove  but  too  plainly,  however  we  may  be 
glad  to  take  refuge  in  religion,  when  driven  to  it  by 
the  loss  of  every  other  comfort,  and  to  retain  as  it 
were  a  reversionary  interest  in  an  asylum  which 
may  receive  us  when  we  are  forced  from  the  tran- 
sitory enjoyments  of  our  present  state;  that  in 
itself  it  wears  to  us  a  gloomy  and  forbidding  as- 
pect, and  not  a  face  of  consolation  and  joy ;  that 
the  worship  of  God  is  with  us  a  constrained  and 
not  a  willing  service,  which  we  are  glad  therefore 
to  abridge,  though  we  dare  not  to  omit  it."* 

Another  testimony  from  a  layman,  and  a  states- 
man, still  more  illustrious — I  mean  Sir  Matthew 
Hale,  Lord  Chief  Justice  of  the  British  Court  of 
King's  Bench,  and  one  of  the  most  learned  and 
able  men  of  the  seventeenth  century — is  in  the  fol- 
lowing strong  language — language  worthy  of  being 
inscribed  in  letters  of  gold  in  every  Christian  dwell- 

*  Wilberforce's  Practical  View.    Chap.  IV.  Sec.  2. 


XXXU  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

ing  on  earth.  It  is  contained  in  a  letter  to  his 
grand-children,  toward  the  close  of  a  long,  active, 
and  eminently  useful  life. 

"  I  will  acquaint  you  with  a  truth  that  above 
forty  years'  experience,  and  strict  observation  of 
myself,  hath  assuredly  taught  me.  I  have  been 
near  fifty  years  a  man  as  much  conversant  in  busi- 
ness, and  that  of  moment  and  importance,  as  most 
men  ;  and  I  will  assure  you,  I  was  never  under  any 
inclination  to  fanaticism,  enthusiasm,  or  supersti- 
tion." 

"  In  all  this  time,  I  have  most  industriously  ob- 
served, in  myself  and  my  concerns,  these  three 
things — first,  whenever  I  have  undertaken  any  secu- 
lar business  on  the  Lord's-day,  (which  was  not 
absolutely  and  indispensably  necessary,)  that  busi- 
ness never  prospered  and  succeeded  well  with  me." 

"  Nay,  if  I  had  set  myself  that  day  but  to  fore- 
cast or  design  any  temporal  business,  to  be  done  or 
performed  afterwards,  though  such  forecast  and  de- 
sign were  just  and  honest  in  themselves,  and  had  as 
fair  a  prospect  as  could  be  effected,  yet  I  have  been 
always  disappointed  in  the  effecting  of  it,  or  in  the 
success  of  it.  So  that  it  grew  almost  proverbial 
with  me,  when  any  importuned  me  to  any  secular 
business  that  day,  to  answer  them,  that  if  they  sua- 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XXXll! 

pected  it  to  succeed  amiss,  then  they  might  desire 
lay  undertaking  of  it  upon  that  day.  And  this  was 
so  certain  an  observation  of  me,  that  I  feared  to 
think  of  any  secular  business  that  day,  because  tho 
resolution  then  taken  would  be  disappointed  or  un- 
successful." 

"  That  always  the  more  closely  I  applied  myself 
to  the  duties  of  the  Lord's-day,  the  more  happy  and 
successful  were  my  business  and  employments  of 
the  week  following.  So  that  I  could,  from  the 
loose  or  strict  observance  of  that  day,  take  a  just 
prospect,  and  true  calculation  of  my  temporal  suc- 
cesses in  the  ensuing  week." 

"  Though  my  hands  and  mind  have  been  as  full 
of  secular  business,  both  before  and  since  I  was  a 
judge,  as  it  may  be  any  man's  in  England,  yet  I 
never  wanted  time  in  my  six  days  to  ripen  and  fit 
myself  for  the  business  and  employments  I  had  to 
do,  though  I  borrowed  not  one  minute  from  the 
Lord's-day  to  prepare  for  it  by  study,  or  otherwise. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  if  I  had  at  any  time  bor- 
rowed from  this  day  any  time  for  my  secular  em- 
ployments, I  found  it  did  further  me  less  than  if  1 
had  let  it  alone :  and,  th-erefore,  when  some  years' 
experience,  upon  a  most  attentive  and  vigilan 
observation,  had  given  me  this  instruction,  I  grew 


XXXIV  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

peremptorily  resolved  never  in  this  kind  to  make 
a  breach  upon  the  Lord's-day,  which  I  have  now 
strictly  observed  for  above  thirty  years.  This 
relation  is  most  certainly  and  experimentally  true, 
and  hath  been  declared  by  me  to  hundreds  of  per- 
sons, as  I  now  declare  it  to  you." 

If  this  be  so — if  every  desecration  of  the  Lord's- 
day  be  not  only  a  sin  against  God,  but  also  against 
our  own  interest  and  happiness — how  great- is  the 
infatuation  as  well  as  the  guilt  of  those,  in  high 
and  in  low  places,  who  seem  to  think  that  every  por- 
tion of  time  they  can  filch  from  this  holy  day,  and 
devote  to  their  pleasures  or  their  gains,  is  so  much 
clear  profit !  They  may  make  their  robbery  of 
God  a  source  of  temporary  gain ;  but  it  will  be 
gain  loaded  with  a  curse.  The  Lord  of  the  Sab- 
bath can  and  will,  sooner  or  later,  avenge  his  own 
cause,  and  manifest  that  the  prosperity  sought  and 
acquired  by  such  impious  means  is  anything  but  a 
real  blessing. 

The  advance  of  our  country,  within  the  last  ten 
years,  in  what  is  expressed  by  the  general  term  of 
"  internal  improvement,"  is,  in  some  respects,  a 
most  animating  spectacle.  To  see  our  principal 
rivers  navigated  by  so  many  beautiful  and  conve- 
nient Steam-Boats  ;  and  every  part  of  our  union 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XXXV 

intersected  by  Canals  and  Rail-Roads,  furnishing 
facilities  of  intercourse  of  the  most  extraordinary 
kind,  and  binding  together  the  most  distant  parts  of 
our  confederated  republics  by  ties  more  powerful 
than  Constitutions  and  Laws  can  form — presents  to 
the  patriot  a  prospect  of  the  most  intense  interest. 
But,  if  that  patriot  be  an  intelligent  Christian,  he 
will  perceive  in  this  extended  scene  one  feature 
which  will  fill  him  with  anguish  and  deep  apprehen- 
sion. I  refer  to  that  deplorable  profanation  of  the 
Lord's-day  which  is  so  conspicuous  on  all  the  lines 
of  our  Steam-Boats,  Canals,  and  Rail-Roads,  and 
on  some  of  them  so  obtrusively  and  shamefully  con- 
spicuous, as  if  the  object  were  to  insult  as  well  as 
to  rob  God ;  and  to  render  public  feeling  as  speedily 
and  as  thoroughly  as  possible  callous  to  the  outrage 
on  all  rehgious  decorum,  by  giving  to  it  all  possible 
familiarity  and  publicity.  Is  it  not  a  fact,  that,  in 
a  community  nominally  Christian,  and  in  the  midst 
of  the  richest  Gospel  privileges,  our  public  convey- 
ances are  studiously  made  so  attractive,  by  cheap- 
ness of  fare,  by  crowds,  and  by  every  species  of 
public  allurement,  in  their  Sabbatical  excursions, 
that  their  gains  are  far  greater  on  that  day,  than  on 
any  other  day  of  the  week?  What  is  this  but 
realizing  anew,  in  substance,  the  old  "  Book  oi 


XXXVJ  IIS'TRODUCTOKY  ESSAY. 

Sports,"  so  famous  in  the  land  of  our  fathers,  and 
so  hateful  to  the  memory  of  every  intelligent  Chris- 
tian? With  this  material  difference,  that  the  profa- 
nations of  the  sacred  day  which  we  lament  among 
ourselves,  though  countenanced  by  multitudes  of 
nominal  Christians,  are  not  yet  sanctioned  by  legal 
authority,  nor  proclaimed  with  approbation  from 
our  pulpits. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  ask,  in  the  language  of 
his  own  word — "  Shall  not  God  be  avenged  on  such 
practices  as  these?"  The  truth  is,  they  carry  a 
curse  with  them.  The  malediction  of  a  holy  God 
is  manifest  in  the  characteristics  which  accompany, 
and  in  the  consequences  which  uniformly  follow  in 
their  train.  They  are  naturally,  I  had  almost  said 
unavoidably,  connected  with  so  much  intemperance, 
impiety,  profaneness,  domestic  disorder,  waste  of 
precious  time,  and  the  contraction  of  various  cor- 
rupting habits ;  so  much  adapted  to  attract  and  as- 
semble the  profligate,  and  to  render  them  still  more 
hardened  and  expert  in  wickedness — that  no  one 
who  has  witnessed  them  once,  can  ever  doubt  that, 
as  they  originate  in  impiety,  so  they  tend  indefinite- 
ly to  deepen  and  extend  those  corrupt  habits  which 
destroy  domestic  peace,  and  poison  all  the  fountains 
of  social  and  political  happiness. 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XXXVIl 

O  that,  in  these  circumstances,  we  had  some 
pious  and  faithful  Nehemiah,  or  Ezekiel, — as  in 
days  of  old, — to  stand  up  before  this  whole  nation* 
and,  as  the  Lord's  witness,  to  bear  testimony  against 
the  violation  of  the  Sabbath,  and  to  call  the  people 
to  repentance  and  reformation  !  Above  all,  0  thai 
when,  in  this  respect,  "  the  enemy  is  coming  in  like 
a  flood,"  and  when  so  many  who  occupy  high  places 
in  society  are,  practically  at  least,  joining  the  ranks 
of  the  adversary,  and  cheering  him  on,  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  might  "  lift  up  a  standard  against  him," 
and  thus  save  us  from  that  aggravated  g-ullt,  and 
those  national  judgments,  from  which  it  would  re- 
quire a  course  of  miracles  to  deliver  us  unless  we 
repent  and  reform ! 

After  all,  however,  there  is  no  hope  of  the  Sab- 
bath being  really  sanctified,  in  any  scriptural,  or 
truly  edifying  manner,  unless  there  be  some  taste 
for  its  appropriate  duties.  There  may  be,  indeed, 
without  thisT'a  mere  negative  observance,  in  otheir 
words,  a  decent  abstinence  from  outward  and  disre- 
putable violations  of  the  day.  But  unless  there  be 
some  relish  for  the  spiritual  employments  of  the 
Sabbath ;  unless  there  be  some  degree  of  taste  for 
the  retired  and  appropriate  employments  of  the  de- 
rout  worshipper,  there  can  fee  no  genuine,  accepta- 
P 


•XXXVlll  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

hie  sanctification  of  the  day.  The  public  eye  may 
be  satisfied ;  but  the  individual  himself  will  no 
reap  any  spiritual  advantage.  There  may  be  a 
frigid,  inoffensive  observance ;  but  there  will  be  no 

eal  Sabbath,  to  benefit  the  Church  as  a  body,  or  to 

dify  the  individual  Christian. 
Hence  the  exceeding  great  importance  of  endea- 
Toring  to  train  up  children  and  youth,  from  their 
earliest  years,  in  an  habitual  and  deep  reverence 
for  the  Lord's-day.  Connected  with  this  thought, 
it  has  often  occurred  to  the  writer  of  these  intro- 
ductory pages,  to  ask,  whether  some  method  might 
not  be  adopted  to  dispel  the  gloominess  which  chil- 
dren, in  pious  families,  are  too  apt  to  connect  with 
the  scriptural  and  becoming  observance  of  this  holy 
day  ?  He  who  should  frame  any  plan  for  accom- 
plishing, in  a  good  degree,  this  object,  would  be  a 
real  benefactor  to  the  Church  and  to  the  world.  It 
cannot  be  doubted  that  the  object  may  be,  in  some 
measure,  attained  by  wise  management.  No  attempt 
will  be  made,  at  present,  to  propose  a  distmct  plan 
for  this  purpose.  Yet  if  the  suggestion  of  a  few 
hints  on  the  subject  should  be  the  means  of  exciting 
some  more  competent  counsellors  to  improve  and 
extend  them  hereafter,  the  writer  will  be  abundant- 
ly rewarded. 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  XXXIX 

The  difficulty  most  serious,  among  children,  and 
most  desirable  to  be  avoided,  is  making  the  exercises 
of  the  Sabbath  a  mere  drudgery.     Whatever,  then, 
can  be  done  to  prevent  this,  and  to  cause  the  youth- 
ful mind  to  take  an  interest  in  the  reading,  and  in 
the  subjects  of  study  prescribed,  instead  of  regard- 
ing thorn  as  an  irksome  task,  will  be  a  most  import- 
ant gain  in  this  matter.     With  respect  to  children 
from  five  to  ten  years  of  age,  various  methods  may 
be  adopted  to  awaken  their  curiosity,  and  engage 
their  attention.    Selections  from  the  Bible,  especial- 
ly of  the  historical  kind,  accompanied  by  illustra- 
tive cuts  and  prints,  addressed  to  the  eye,  and  com- 
mented upon   by   parents   or   other  teachers,  can 
scarcely  fail  of  exciting  and  gratifying  the  tenderest 
minds.     Other  pious  works,  adapted  to  the  weakest 
capacities,  and  illustrated  and  adorned  in  the  same 
manner,  for  the  sake  of  diversifying  the  objects  of 
attention,  would  naturally  be  productive  of  the  same 
effects.     In  regard  to  children  more  advanced  and 
intelligent,  the  happiest  results   have  flowed   from 
their  being   required  every  Sabbath,  immediately 
after  returning  from  the  hearing  of  each  sermon, 
to  reduce  the  substance  o-f  it  to  writing,  and  to  read 
the  notes  so  taken,  as  an  exe»cise  on  Sabbath  eve- 
ning.   This  leads  to  increased  atten'xon  in  hearmg ; 


Xl  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

to  habits  of  review  and  reflection  afterwards ;  ana? 
to  tliose  various  forms  of  intellectaal  effort,  which 
at  once  interest  and  gratify  the  youthful  individ-aal 
at  the  time,  and  gradually,  but  most  surely,  pro- 
mote the  strengthening  and  enlargement  of  his 
faculties ;  to  say  nothing  of  that  growth  in  solid 
theological  and  scriptural  knowledge,  which  is  more 
important  than  all  the  rest,  and  which  is  thus  ac- 
quired by  means  of  a  process  which  may,  doubt- 
less, be  so  managed  as  to  be  regarded  less  as  a  task 
than  as  a  recreation. 

To  these  exercises  might  be  added  others,  equally 
calling  for  pleasant  effort  to  most  young  minds,  and 
equally  adapted  to  promote  the  intelligent  study  of 
the  Scriptures.  Such  as  giving  to  each  youth  a 
select  portion  from  the  word  of  God,  to  be  the  sub- 
ject of  study  and  writing ;  for  example,  a  striking 
CHARACTER — as  that  of  Abraham,  Joseph,  Moses, 
Solomon,  Peter,  or  John  ; — a  type  ;  a  miracle  ;  a 
prominent  historical  fact — as  the  food,  the 
tower  of  Babel,  the  departure  out  of  Egypt,  the 
expulsion  and  destruction  of  the  Canaanites,  the 
building  of  the  Temple,  the  Babylonish  captivity 
the  circumstances  of  the  Saviour's  birth,  the  fina' 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  &c.  If  subjects  of  this 
nature  were  given  to  young  people,  from  ten  to  six- 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  xU 

*cen  or  eighteen  years,  to  be  considered  and  written 
upon,  and  access  to  commentators  and  other  good 
helps  freely  afforded  them, — how  much  improve- 
ment might  not  result  from  the  exercise,  both  to  the 
children  themselves,  and  their  parents  or  instructors 
in  reviewing  their  work  ?  Christian  parents  would 
have  an  additional  inducement,  in  these  circumstan- 
ces, to  provide  their  families  with  the  best  Com- 
mentaries within  their  reach,  and  with  a  small 
selection  of  good  books,  which  would  be  connect- 
ed with  a  sensible  enlargement  of  the  habits  of 
reading  and  thinking,  —  and,  of  course,  the  best 
kind  of  reading, — both  among  young  and  old. 

Besides  the  employments  above  suggested,  there 
might  be  other  scriptural  exercises  assigned,  no  less 
adapted  to  interest  the  youthful  mind,  to  bring  it  in 
contact  with  the  Bible,  and,  at  once,  to  store  it  with 
sacred  knowledge,  and  to  beget  habits  of  reflection. 
Such,  for  example,  as  selecting  some  conspicuous, 
leading  text  of  Scripture  on  a  given  subject,  and 
requesting  children  to  search  out,  and  array  in  their 
order,  parallel  texts ;  and  also  presenting  certain 
moral  and  theological  topics  for  consideration — as 
the  sin  of  lying — disobedience  to  parents — forgive- 
ness of  injuries — the  folly  of  worldly  ambition — 
the  advantages  of  humility — remarkable  answers 
D2 


Xlii  INTRODUCTOEY  ESSAY. 

to  prayer — the  duty  of  patience — the  sin  of  evil- 
speaking,  &c., — and  inducing  them  briefly  to  pat 
their  thoughts  on  such  topics  on  paper,  in  the  form 
of  short  essays,  and  deriving  support  to  the  opinions 
which  they  express  both  from  reason  and  Scripture. 
Were  exercises  of  this  kind,  occasionally  alter- 
nated, and  otherwise  diversified,  assigned  to  chil- 
dren and  young  people,  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath  ; 
and  assigned  not  so  much  as  a  task^  as  a  jprivilege, 
and,  if  possible,  as  a  reivard,  and  with  all  those 
circumstances  of  kindness  and  even  of  occasional 
approbation,  where  it  can  be  sincerely  bestowed, 
which  wise  and  pious  parents  know  how  judiciously 
to  employ — the  consequences  might  be  confidently 
expected,  by  the  divine  blessing,  to  be  both  pleasant 
and  salutary ; — to  render  such  children  familiar 
with  the  Bible,  without  making  its  perusal  a  burden ; 
and  to  enable  them  to  understand  its  contents  with- 
out the  formality  of  reminding  them  at  every  step 
that  this  was  the  purpose.  Indeed,  there  is  reason 
to  believe,  that  if  this  plan  of  spending  the  intervals 
of  public  worship  on  the  Lord's-day,  were  zealously 
adopted,  and  wisely  pursued,  it  would  render  that 
day  the  plaasantest  day  of  the  week  to  children — 
and  cause  them  to  anticipate  its  return  with  interest, 
and  be  almost  sorry  when  it  came  to  an  end ;  while 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  xllil 

it  would  make  the  carrying  into  execution  the  plan, 
on  the  part  of  parents,  as  delightful  and  instructive 
to  themselves,  as  it  could  be  to  their  beloved  off- 
spring. 

But  on  these  suggestions  it  would  be  improper 
further  to  enlarge.  To  Christian  parents  of  sincere 
and  intelligent  piety,  the  slightest  hints  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  set  their  minds  at  work  in  the  execution  of 
plans  which  may  be  endlessly  modified  by  the  pecu- 
liar situation  of  themselves  or  their  children.  Let 
it  only  be  observed,  that  the  great  master  principle 
of  all  sound  education, — and  of  the  moral  and  reli- 
gious part  of  it,  as  w^ell  as  every  other, — is  as  early 
as  possible  to  teach  them  to  think — ^to  impart 

TO   THEM   AN   INTEREST   IN  THINKING and,  above 

all,  to  make  thinking  on  the  contents  of  the 
Bible  interesting  and  delightful. 

One  topic  more,  and  these  introductory  remarks 
will  be  closed.  The  worthy  Author  of  the  follow- 
ing Lectures  generally  speaks  of  the  Lord's-day 
under  the  title  of  the  Sabbath.  To  this  title  some 
have  objected ;  alleging,  that  as  that  was  the  title 
of  the  Jewish  day  of  rest,  and  as  we  deem  it  im- 
pcjilant  to  distinguish  between  the  Old  Testament 
rest  on  the  seventh  day  of  the  week,  and  that  of  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  under  the  New  Testament 


Xliv  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

economy ;  so  we  ought  to  employ  a  different  word; 
in  all  cases,  to  designate  the  latter  day.  This  ob- 
jection seems  to  have  but  little  foundation  either  in 
reason  or  Scripture.  It  is  undoubtedly  true,  that, 
in  the  second  and  third  centuries,  we  filid  the  Chris- 
tian Fathers  carefully  distinguishing  between  the 
Jewish  "  Sabbath,"  and  the  "  Lord's-day  :"  because, 
when  the  change  in  the  day  occurred,  it  was  insist- 
ed by  the  Jewish  converts,  who  formed  the  great 
body  of  the  jfirst  Christians,  that  the  seventh  day 
ought  still  to  be  consecrated  to  the  worship  of  God. 
The  Gentile  Christians,  therefore,  in  order  to  con- 
ciliate the  Jews,  and  allure  them  into  the  Church, 
honored  their  Sabbath  ;  so  that,  for  several  hundred 
years,  both  days  were  considered  as  holy  days,  and 
devoted  to  religious  purposes,  throu-gh  the  greater 
part  of  Christendom.  The  Eastern  and  Western 
Churches,  indeed,  were  not  entirely  of  one  mind  as 
to  the  precise  character  of  that  celebration  of  the 
Jewish  Sabbath,  which  ought  to  be  adopted  by 
Christians.  Hence,  in  the  East,  the  seventh  day 
of  the  week  was  generally  observed  as  a  festival, 
as  well  as  the  first ;  while  in  the  West,  it  was  gen- 
erally kept  as  a  fast.  This  diversity  of  practice, 
and  the  degree  of  collision  which  grew  out  of  thia 
diversity,  rendered  it,  not  merely  convenient,  but 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  xlv 

absolutely  necessary,  that  the  distinction  between 
the  two  days  should  be  constantly  maintained. 
Hence  the  exhortation  by  Ignatius,  quoted  in  a 
preceding  page, — "  No  longer  to  observe  Sabbaths 
but  to  keep  the  Lord's-day.''''  In  short,  the  lan- 
guage used  by  the  early  Christians,  when  speaking 
of  this  day,  seems  to  have  been  constantly  dictated 
by  the  occasion  on  which  they  spoke,  and  the  per- 
sons addressed.  The  apostolic  writers  commonly 
style  it  the  "  first  day  of  the  week,"  because  their 
minds  were  full  of  it  as  a  precious  memorial  of  their 
Master's  glorious  resurrection  from  the  dead  on 
that  day.  Toward  the  close  of  the  century,  and 
fc>;  a  long  time  afterwards,  the  favorite  title  of  the 
day  was  the  "  Lord's-day,"  as  an  affectionate  me- 
mento of  the  whole  character  and  work  of  Him  to 
whose  kingdom  and  honor  it  was  devoted.  When 
The  early  Christians  had  occasion  to  speak  of  this 
day  to  the  heathen,  they  called  it,  as  we  have  be- 
fc.re  seen,  "  Sunday,"  in  conformity  with  the  Pagan 
title  given  to  the  first  day  of  the  week.  And  when 
they  were  called  to  distinguish  between  this  day 
and  the  Jewish  Sabbath,  which  they  also  kept,  but 
with  less  solemnity,  they  called  it  by  any  of  the 
names  before  mentioned,  but  mare  commonly  than 
otherwise  by  that  of  the  "  Lord's-day." 


Xlvi  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

If  it  be  asked  what  title  ought  to  be  given  to  this 
season  of  sacred  rest,  by  us,  at  the  present  day,  I 
answer,  the  name  is  of  small  importance,  provided 
it  be  distinctly  understood.  Perhaps,  however, 
"  the  Lord's-day"  is,  on  the  whole,  the  most  eligible 
title,  and  it  were  to  be  wished  it  might  be  brought 
into  general  use,  as  the  most  strictly  appropriate, 
and  evangelically  expressive.  But  this  object  can 
probably  never  be  attained.  There  is  something 
about  this  title  which  will  for  ever  prevent  it  from 
being  familiar  on  the  popular  lip.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  is  to  be  lamented  that  the  Pagan  title  of 
"  Sunday  "  has  taken  such  deep  root  in  the  nomen- 
clature of  Christian  society.  The  early  Christians 
seldom  used  it,  but  when  they  were  addressing  the 
Pagans.  And  although  it  would  be  going  to  an 
extreme  in  scrupulousness  to  plead  a  conscientious 
objection  to  the  use  of  this  title,  because  it  is  Pagan 
in  its  origin,  which  would  equally  apply  to  all  the 
other  days  of  the  week ;  yet  there  seems  to  be  some 
solid  reason  for  choosing  a  Bible  name  for  that  day 
which  is  so  important  for  keeping  alive  religion  in 
our  world,  and  which  holds  so  conspicuous  a  place 
in  the  language  of  the  Church  of  God.  Among 
all  the  names  answering  this  description,  the  title 
of  "  the  Sabbath,"  or  «  the  Christian  Sabbath,"  is, 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  xlvil 

in  my  opinion, — next  to  the  "  Lord's-day," — deci- 
sively the  most  eligihle.  I,  therefore,  have  no 
oD^'ection  to  Mr.  Agnew's  adoption  of  this  title 
throughout  his  work.  It  is  convenient,  expressive, 
and  unexceptionable. 

Among  other  objections  to  the  use  of  the  term 
"  Sabbath,"  as  expressive  of  the  Lord's-day,  it  has 
been  incautiously  alleged,  that  "  the  only  bodies  of 
professing  Christians,  throughout  Christendom,  who 
apply  this  term  to  the  first  day  of  the  week,  are  the 
Church  of  Scotland^  the  Dissenters  in  England, 
and  their  descendants  in  America :  that  in  this  ap- 
plication it  is  unknown  among  the  Roman  Catholic 
and  Greek  Churches,  and  throughout  all  the  Pro- 
testant Churches  on  the  continent  of  Europe."  This 
statement  is  entirely  incorrect.  The  term  "  Sab- 
bath "  is  undoubtedly  applied  to  the  first  day  of  the 
vv^eek  in  the  Homilies  of  the  Church  of  England ; 
in  the  "  Acts  of  the  Synod  of  Dort,^''  which,  as 
every  one  knows,  speak  the  authoritative  language 
of  the  Church  of  Holland  ;  in  the  "  Ecclesiastical 
Polity"  of  "  the  judicious  Hooker  ;"  in  the  writings 
of  Bishop  Pearson,  of  Bishop  Horsley,  of  Bishop 
PoRTEUS,  of  the  eloquent  Wilberforce,  of  Dr. 
Thomas  Scott,  the  pious  and  excellent  Commenta- 
tor, of  Messieurs  Jones,  of  Nayland,  Robi-nson 


Xlviii  INTEODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

of  Leicester,  and  Cooper,  of  Hamstal  Ridwace, 
of  the  Christian  Observer,  of  London,  and  of  a  host 
of  other  English  and  Continental  writers,  of  the 
most  elevated  character.  So  far,  then,  as  Protestant 
authority  goes,  the  suffrages  in  favor  of  this  title  are 
widely  extended,  and  of  unquestionable  respecta- 
bility. 

On  the  whole,  then,  though  I  prefer  the  title. 
"  the  Lord's-day,"  as  more  strictly  appropriate  to 
the  New  Testament  economy,  and  more  evangeli- 
cal than  any  other ;  yet  I  can  by  no  means  feel  the 
force  of  the  objections  to  the  t^rms  "  the  Sabbath," 
and  "  the  Christian  Sabbath."  Either  of  these  terms 
is,  assuredly,  more  likely  to  be  received  into  popu- 
lar use  than  "  the  Lord's-day."  It  is  a  scriptural 
term,  used  in  a  commandment,  which  I  have  no 
doubt  is  unrepealed,  and  still  obligatory  on  Chris- 
tians. It  is  a  perfectly  expressive  term,  designating 
the  day  as  a  day  of  rest  from  servile  labor,  and 
all  worldly  employments  ;  and  intended,  also,  to  be  a 
standing  commemoration  of  Jehovah's  rest  from  the 
work  of  creation  ;  and  of  our  Divine  Saviour's  rest 
(if  the  expression  may  be  allowed)  from  the  labors, 
the  sufferings,  and  the  humiliation  of  the  work  of 
Redemption.  These  ideas  surely  give  to  the  ter.m 
Sahhath,  under  the  New  Testament  economy,  as 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY.  xHx 

appro} *.  late  a  meaning,  both  philological  and  theo- 
logical, as  ever  it  had  under  the  former  dispensation. 
But  it  will  be  improper  longer  to  detain  the  read- 
er from  the  following  Lectures.  They  will  well 
reward  his  perusal ;  and  my  prayer  is,  that  they 
may  be  extensively  circulated  and  useful. 
Princeton  Jidu  30th  1833. 


E 


MANUAL  ON  THE  SABBATH 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  INSTITUTION  OF  THE  SABBATH. 

That  a  Sabbath  is  spoken  of  in  these  words  of 
Gen.  2:3,  "  and  God  blessed  the  seventh  day  and 
sanctified  it,"  will  be  admitted,  whatever  diversity 
of  opinion  may  exist  in  reference  to  its  original  in- 
stitution and  present  obligation.  This  Sabbath, 
with  its  blessings,  it  is  believed,  belongs  to  the 
whole  human  family,  however  much  it  is  decried 
as  a  part  of  Judaism,  or  a  merely  human  institu- 
tion, expedient  on  the  whole,  but  always  to  yield  to 
any  important  secular  interest,  governmental  or  in- 
dividual. 

At  the  present  day,  it  has  become  lamentably 
common,  profanely  and  wantonly  to  abuse,  and 
pervert  to  purposes  of  gain  and  pleasure,  the  sanc- 
tity of  its  hours.  Convenience  is  the  law  which 
regulates  the  multitude  on  this  sacred  day,  and  to 
this  law  must  yield  both  the  authority  of  God,  and 
the  statutes  of  men. 

In  this  land,  settled  by  pious  pilgrims,  and  watch 
ed  over  by  the  kind  Providence  of  our  heavenly 
Father,  the  question  is  now  practically  solving 
"Shall  we  obliterate  or  retain  the  Sabbath?" 


52  INSTITUTION   OF 

In  view,  therefore,  of  the  importance  of  this  ques- 
tion, I  propose  to  consider  the  Institution,  Perpetual 
ObHgatio-n,  Change  of  Day,  UtiUty,  and  Duties  of 
the  Sabbath. 

Its  Institution  will  claim  our  immediate  attention, 
and  be  contemplated  in  reference  to  its  date,  and  its 
AutJior. 

1.  Our  attention  is  directed,  in  the  first  place,  to 
the  date  of  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath.  On  this 
subject  there  are  two  opinions.  Some  contending 
that  its  origin  is  to  be  dated  from  the  time  when  the 
manna  was  given  to  the  children  of  Israel  from 
heaven,  which  they  were  forbidden  to  gather  on  the 
seventh  day.  Others  find  its  origin  recorded  in  the 
second  chapter  of  Genesis,  and  date  its  institution 
from  the  cessation  of  God's  work  in  creating  the 
heavens  and  the  earth.  The  latter  opinion  I  con- 
ceive  to  be  the  truth,  and  shall  endeavor  to  estab- 
lish it,  by  disproving  the  former,  and  adducing  some 
positive  evidence  in  confirmation  of  the  latter. 

I  shall  proceed  to  examine  the  argument  of  those 
who  date  the  institution  from  the  time  of  Moses, 
2500  years  after  the  creation.  The  celebrated  Dr. 
Paley  has  advocated  this  opinion,  and,  in  his  work 
on  Moral  Philosophy,  has  presented  all  the  reasons 
which  can  be  adduced  in  support  of  it.  To  these 
reasons,  thei^fore,  we  must  address  ourselves,  and 
weigh  their  value  in  the  scales  of  impartial  judg- 
ment. 

It  will  be  proper  to  turn  to  the  passage  on  which 


THE  SABBATH.  53 

the  argument  principally  rests.  You  will  find  it 
recorded  in  Exod.  16:21 — 30.  "  And  they  gather- 
ed it  every  morning,  every  man  according  to  his 
eating :  and  when  the  sun  waxed  hot,  it  melted. 
And  it  came  to  pass,  that  on  the  sixth  day  they 
gathered  twice  as  much  bread,  two  omers  for  one 
man :  and  all  the  rulers  of  the  congregation  came 
and  told  Moses.  And  he  said  unto  them,  This  is 
that  which  the  Lord  hath  said — To-morrow  is  the 
rest  of  the  holy  Sabbath  unto  the  Lord :  bake  that 
which  ye  will  bake  to-day,  and  seethe  that  ye  will 
seethe  ;  and  that  which  remaineth  over,  lay  up  for 
you,  to  be  kept  until  the  morning.  And  they  laid 
it  up  till  the  morning,  as  Moses  bade ;  and  it  did  not 
stink,  neither  was  there  any  worm  therein.  And 
Moses  said.  Eat  that  to-day  ;  for  to-day  is  a  Sabbath 
unto  the  Lord  :  to-day  ye  shall  not  find  it  in  the 
field.  Six  days  ye  shall  gather  it ;  but  on  the  seventh 
day,  which  is  the  Sabbath,  in  it  there  shall  be  none. 
And  it  came  to  pass,  that  there  went  out  some  of 
the  people  on  the  seventh  day  for  to  gather,  and 
they  found  none.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses, 
How  long  refuse  ye  to  keep  my  commandments  and 
my  laws  ?  See,  for  that  the  Lord  hath  given  you 
the  Sabbath,  therefore  he  giveth  you  on  the  sixth 
day  the  bread  of  two  days  :  abide  ye  every  man  in 
his  place ;  let  no  man  go  out  of  his  place  on  tlie 
seventh  day.  So  the  people  rested  on  the  seventh 
day."  On  this  passage,  Paley  remarks,  "  Noav,  in 
my  opinion,  the  transaction  in  the  wilderness  above 
E2 


54  INSTITUTION   OF 

recited,  was  the  first  actual  institution  of  the  Sab- 
bath. For  if  the  Sabbath  had  been  instituted  at  th(? 
time  of  creation — as  the  words  in  Genesis  may 
seem  at  first  sight  to  import ;  and  if  it  had  been  ob- 
served all  along  from  that  time  to  the  departure  of 
the  Jews  out  of  Egypt,  a  period  of  about  2500 
years,  it  appears  unaccountable  that  no  mention  of 
it,  no  occasion  of  even  the  obscurest  allusion  to  it, 
should  occur,  either  in  the  general  history  of  the 
world  before  the  call  of  Abraham,  which  contains, 
we  admit,  only  a  few  memoirs  of  its  early  ages,  and 
those  extremely  abridged  :  or,  which  is  move  to  be 
wondered  at,  in  that  of  the  lives  of  the  three  first 
Patriarchs,  which,  in  many  parts  of  the  account,  is 
sufficiently  circumstantial  and  domestic.  Nor  is 
there  in  the  passage  above  quoted,  any  intimation 
that  the  Sabbath  when  appointed  to  be  observed,  was 
only  the  revival  of  an  ancient  institution,  which  had 
been  neglected,  forgotten,  or  suspended :  nor  is  any 
such  neglect  imputed  either  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
old  world,  or  to  any  part  of  the  family  of  Noah : 
nor,  lastly,  is  any  permission  recorded  to  dispense 
with  the  institution,  during  the  captivity  of  the  Jews 
in  Egypt,  or  on  any  other  public  emergency." 

Let  us  dissect  the  argument,  and  examine  its 
parts  separately. 

The  first  reason  in  support  of  the  opinion  tha* 
the  origin  of  the  Sabbath  is  recorded  in  this  passage 
of  Exodus,  is  the  entire  want  of  reference  to  it  in 
the  history  of  the  2500  years  prior  to  Moses.     "  It 


THE  SABBATH.  55 

IS  unaccountable  that  it  should  neither  be  mentioned, 
nor  even  alluded  to,  in  all  this  period,  if  it  had  been 
instituted  from  the  beginning  of  the  world."  That 
there  is  some,  at  least,  "  obscure  allusion"  to  the 
Sabbath  in  the  history  of  that  period,  I  think  will 
appear,  when  we  come  to  prove  directly  that  the 
date  of  the  institution  is  found  in  Gen.  2:3. 

But  had  there  been  no  allusion,  nor  any  mention 
of  it,  it  certainly  is  not  so  unaccountable  as  this 
reason  supposes.  When  it  is  remembered  that  the 
history  of  2000  years  until  the  call  of  Abraham,  is 
written  in  eleven  chapters  of  Genesis,  containing 
"  only  a  kw  brief  memoirs,  and  those  extremely 
abridged,"  can  it  be  a  matter  of  astonishment,  that 
the  sacred  historian  does  not  inform  us  whether  or 
not  Abel,  and  Enoch,  and  Noah,  and  the  pious  of 
those  days,  kept  the  holy  rest  of  God  ?  And  on  the 
supposition  that  the  Sabbath  was  instituted  at  the 
time  of  creation,  is  it  presumable  that  Moses  would, 
in  so  brief  a  narration,  inform  us  that  the  pious  had 
kept  this  institution  of  God  ]  There  were  other  im- 
portant matters  to  fill  up  his  few  pages. 

And  in  regard  to  the  memoirs  of  the  "  three  first 
Jewish  Patriarchs,  which  are  in  many  things  suffi- 
ciently circumstantial  and  domestic,"  even  they  are 
only  a  touch  upon  a  few  things  out  of  the  numerous 
incidents  which  must  have  happened  in  the  space  of 
500  years.  The  remaining  chapters  of  Genesis 
contain  the  account  of  these  500  years ;  and,  al- 
though in  some  things  minutely  domestic,  and  nuich 


56  INSTITUTION    OF 

more  circumstantial  than  the  history  of  the  prece* 
ding  2000  years,  yet  it  is  only  an  abridgment, 
noticing  those  things  which  had  a  pecuHar  bearing 
on  the  iUustration  of  man's  character,  and  God's 
deaUngs  with  him. 

From  the  time  of  the  call  of  Abraham,  religion 
assumed  a  new  aspect.  God  entered  into  special 
convenant  with  the  patriarchs,  and  was  preparing 
the  way  for  fuller  discoveries  of  himself  to  their 
descendants.  Therefore  those  domestic  details,  and 
circumstantial  narratives  which  you  find  in  their 
history ;  all  tending  to  unfold  the  providence  of  God 
over  the  Patriarchs,  his  fulfilment  of  his  promises, 
and  their  felt  interest  in  his  covenant.  And  is  it 
anything  remarkable,  "if  the  Sabbath  had  been 
instituted  from  the  creation  of  the  world,"  that  in 
this  brief  account  there  should  be  no  mention  of  its 
weekly  observance,  or  of  its  neglect  7 

Paley  himself  remarks,  that  no  neglect  of  the 
institution  is  imputed  to  the  ante-  or  post-diluvians 
and  infers  therefore  that  the  account  in  Exodus  16 
is  not  a  revival  of  a  previously  existing  institution 
but  its  very  origin.  He  seems  to  take  for  granted 
that  if  the  Sabbath  had  been  known  from  the  time- 
of  Adam,  it  had  also  been  utterly  neglected,  or  for- 
gotten, or  suspended,  and  that  this  would  have  been 
mentioned  by  Moses  on  reviving  it.  But  the  con- 
trary supposition  is  far  more  probable,  that  if  then 
instituted  it  continued  to  be  observed  by  the  ante- 


THE    SABBATH.  57 

dlluvians  and  the  patriarchs.      Of  this  there  are 
some  intimations,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 

What  then,  on  this  supposition,  should  we  look 
for  in  a  history  so  circumscribed  and  uncommonly 
brief  as  that  in  Genesis  ?  Would  it  be  expected  that 
Moses,  with  the  single  object  in  view  of  writing  an 
introduction  to  the  history  of  the  Jewish  people, 
after  the  departure  from  Egypt,  which  must  run 
over  a  space  of  2500  years,  and  necessarily  contain 
numerous  genealogies,  would  seek  an  opportunity  of 
introducing  the  fact,  that  those  of  whom  he  wrote 
had  kept  the  Sabbath  ?  To  me  it  appears  altogether 
improbable.  Moses  records  the  institution  in  the 
beginning  of  his  history,  and  leaves  us  to  infer  that 
the  sons  of  God  observed  it.  Just  as  he  gives  us 
the  account  of  the  institution  of  circumcision  in  the 
covenant  with  Abraham,  and  after  mentioning  its 
observance  by  him,  takes  no  further  notice  of  it 
until  his  own  time.  But  we  cannot  therefore  con- 
clude that  it  was  neglected  by  Isaac  or  Jacob  and 
their  posterity.  For  instance,  suppose  an  individual 
should  sit  down  to  write  the  religious  history  of  this 
country  two  hundred  years  hence.  In  the  com- 
mencement he  might  briefly  record  the  institution  of 
the  Sabbath  as  adopted  into  the  code  of  the  church, 
and  say  that  the  first  day  of  the  week' was  sanctified, 
or  set  apart  for  holy  purposes.  Then,  on  the  sup- 
position that  the  day  continued  to  be  observed,  and 
nothing  occurred  to  interfere  with  its  holy  rest,  nor 
anything  especially  worthy  of  remark  in  reference 


58  INSTITUTION    OF 

to  it,  would  you  expect  to  find  the  historian  infonning 
you  of  a  fact  which  you  would  most  naturally  inter 
from  his  previous  statement  ?  Certainly  not.  And 
much  less,  if  his  history  were  only  a  brief  outline, 
similar  to  that  in  Genesis. 

It  does  not  then  appear  wonderful  that  in  the  briel 
history  of  those  days  the  Sabbath  should  not  be 
mentioned,  if  instituted  at  the  creation.  On  the 
contrary,  that  it  is  not,  is  the  more  natural. 

But  let  us  now  see  whether  the  conclusion  which 
Paley  draws,  be  authorized  by  the  premises.  The 
premise  is,  that  the  history  of  2500  years  is  silent 
on  the  subject  of  the  Sabbath.  The  conclusion  or 
the  inference,  that  therefore  the  Sabbath  was  not 
instituted  until  after  this  period.  Is  the  conclusion 
sustained  by  the  premise  1  Whither  would  the  rea- 
soning conduct  us  ?  You  have  already  seen  it  lead 
to  the  conclusion,  that  from  the  time  of  Abraham  to 
Moses,  there  was  no  practice  of  circumcision ;  that 
Isaac,  Jacob,  and  their  posterity,  neglected  this  rite. 
And  farther,  that  after  the  death  of  Moses,  it  was 
unknown  for  eight  centuries,  until  the  time  of  Jere- 
miah, who  first  mentions  it.  But  that  the  silence  of 
the  sacred  historian  will  not  authorize  us  to  conclude 
the  non-existence  of  an  institution,  will  appear  also 
in  reference  to  the  Sabbath  itself  after  its  announce- 
ment in  the  wilderness.  The  weekly  Sabbath  is  not 
once  mentioned  after  the  death  of  Moses,  in  the 
liistories  of  the  Jews  written  in  Joshua,  Judges, 
Samuel,  &c.,  until  you  come  to  2  Kings,  11.    This 


THE    SABBATH.  59 

is  more  than  600  years  from  the  record  in  the  16th 
of  Exodus.  It  IS  mentioned  again  in  1  Chron.  9:3'1 
in  the  time  of  David,  500  years  from  the  time  of 
the  record  in  Exodus  16.  Another  instance  occurs 
in  the  history  of  Ahaz,  752  years  from  that  period. 
It  is  mentioned  also  three  times  in  Isa.  780  years 
after.  And  these  are  all  the  instances  of  its  men- 
tion, during  a  period  of  1000  years. 

The  first  notice  of  a  Sabbath,  is  500  years  after 
the  time  of  the  supposed  institution  in  Exodus,  and 
this  only  incidental.  Now  apply  the  argument  of 
Dr.  Paley.  "  If  the  Sabbath  was  instituted  in  the 
time  of  Moses,  as  recorded  in  16th  of  Exodus;  and 
if  it  was  observed  all  along  from  that  time  until  the 
time  of  David,  a  period  of  500  years,  it  is  unac- 
countable and  much  to  be  wondered  at,  that  there 
should  be  no  mention,  nor  even  an  occasion  of  the 
obscurest  allusion  to  it,  in  a  history  sufficiently  cir- 
cumstantial and  domestic — yea,  far  more  so  than  the 
account  of  the  500  years  in  which  the  three  patri- 
archs lived.  And  must  we  then  conclude  that  the 
pious  Judges  and  Samuel  observed  no  Sabbath 
because  it  is  not  alluded  to  in  the  history  of  their 
times,  although  there  appeared  to  be  an  institution 
of  it  in  Exodus  20  or  16  ?  No  more  is  it  a  justifiable 
inference  that  the  patriarchs  and  ante-diluvians  knew 
of  no  Sabbath,  and  that  the  record  in  Genesis  2:  is 
not  the  actual  institution  of  it,  because  it  is  not 
mentioned  in  the  "  extremely  abridged^'  hisrtory  of 
those  times. 


CO  INSTITUTION    OF 

What  has  just  been  advanced,  obviates  another 
of  the  reasons  in  support  of  the  opinion  we  are 
refuting;  viz  :  "  that  no  nemect  of  the  Sabbath  is 
imputed  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  old  world,  or  to 
any  part  of  the  family  of  Noah."  The  more  proba- 
ble supposition  is  that  they  observed  it.  Nor  do  we 
expect  an  imputation  of  neglect  where  the  subject  is 
n-ot  mentioned.  And  moreover,  they  might  have 
been  negligent  without  any  reference  to  the  fact  in 
so  brief  an  account :  for  the  first  word  of  reproof 
in  reference  to  the  neglect  of  the  Sabbath  by  the 
Israelites  after  the  supposed  institution  in  Exodus, 
occurs  in  Isa.,  731  years  after  that  period. 

I  shall  now  turn  to  the  second  reason  adduced  by 
Dr.  Paley,  in  these  words, — "  there  is  not  in  the 
passage  of  Exodus,  any  intimation  that  the  Sabbath 
then  appointed  to  be  observed,  was  the  revival  of 
an  ancient  institution.'^^  Read  Exod.  16:22,  &c., 
con.  vs.  4,  5.  There  is  not,  it  is  true,  any  intima- 
tion of  this  kind  in  so  many  words.  Neither,  on 
the  other  hand,  is  there  any  intimation  that  it  is 
the  original  appointment  of  the  Sabbath.  But  if  we 
inspect  the  passage  a  little,  we  may  perhaps  dis- 
cover circumstances  which  will  lead  us  to  the  opin- 
ion that  it  was  "  the  revival  of  an  ancient  institu- 
tion," or  at  least  that  it  was  not  the  fii'st  institution 
of  a  Sabbath.  The  argument  from  this  passage, 
to  prove  it  the  original  appointment  of  tba  Sabbvith, 
rests  principally  on  the  phrases, — "  To-morrow  is 
thp.  rest  of  the  holy  Sabbath  unto  the  Lord,"  ver. 


THE  SABBATH.  61 

23, — "  To-day  is  a  Sabbath  unto  the  Lord,"  ver. 
?5, — and,  "  For  that  the  Lord  hath  given  you  the 
Sabbath." 

In  reference  to  tlie  last,  on  which  great  stress  is 
laid,  as  containing  the  original  institution,  because 
of  the  terms  "  I  have  given,"  which  it  is  said  can 
only  mean  a  primary  institution,  even  on  the  sup- 
position that  they  do  necessarily  imply  institution, 
it  could  not  be  fairly  inferred  that  God  had  then 
first  given  or  instituted  the  Sabbath.  For  they  an- 
nounce the  reason  of  a  double  quantity  of  manna 
on  the  sixth  day ;  "  because  the  Lord  hath  given 
you  the  Sabbath,  therefore  he  giveth  you  on  the 
sixth  day,  the  bread  of  two  days."  But  the  reason 
is  just  as  good  and  as  apparent  to  the  people,  if  we 
suppose  a  reference  to  a  previous  institution  2500 
years  before.  The  words  do  not  necessarily  indi- 
cate that  the  Sabbath  had  been  just  appointed. 
They  only  intimate  that  because  of  that  day  of  rest 
existing  among  the  Israelites,  God  gave  them  a 
double  portion  on  the  previous  day. 

But  the  phrase,  "  the  Lord  hath  given,"  is  suffi- 
ciently explained  by  what  had  occurred  the  previous 
day,  in  the  declaration  of  Moses  to  the  rulers,  "  To- 
morrow is  the  rest  of  the  holy  Sabbath  to  the 
Lord."  This  once  introduced,  the  other  expression 
would  naturally  follow  in  reference  to  it.  So  that 
the  whole  argument  depends  on  the  first  declaration 
contained  in  ver.  23.  "  To-morrow  is  the  rest  of 
the  holy  Sabbath."  And  the  only  question  is, 
F 


62  INSTITUTION   OF 

whether  this  is  the  first  announcement  of  the  Sab- 
bath. If  it  be,  then  the  other  which  follows  and 
has  reference  to  it,  of  course  points  to  original  in- 
stitution. But  if  not,  then  nothing  can  be  deter- 
mined from  the  latter  alone.  For  if  it  refer  to  this 
event,  then  its  interpretation  depends  on  it. 

Let  us  then  direct  our  attention  to  this  passage, 
in  order  to  discover  whether  or  not  it  seems  to  be 
the  original  appointment. 

Remark,  in  the  first  place,  in  verses  4,  5,  God 
informs  Moses  of  his  intention  to  supply  bread  daily, 
and  of  his  wish  that  the  people  should  daily  gather 
a  sufficiency,  and  leave  none  until  the  next  morn- 
ing.  He  further  informs  him  that  on  the  sixth 
day,  his  will  was  that  they  should  gather  twice 
the  usual  quantity.  This  is  the  whole  of  the  com- 
muni-cation  with  Moses.  But  there  is  no  mention 
of  a  setting  apart  of  the  seventh  day  to  sacred  pur- 
poses. No  allusion  to  the  appointment  of  that 
day  as  a  Sabbath.  But  on  the  supposition  that  this 
was  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath,  Moses  was  of 
course  ignorant  of  it  before,  and  could  know  no 
reason  why  a  double  portion  should  be  given  on  the 
sixth  day.  Would  it  not  be  natural,  therefore,  that 
God  should  give  him  the  reason  of  his  withholding 
bread  on  the  seventh  day,  together  with  his  deter- 
mination to  do  so,  if  Moses  were  utterly  ignorant 
of  any  such  distinction  of  that  day  ?  While,  if  ac- 
quainted with  the  Sabbath  p«-eviously,  nothing  more 
would  be  necessary  than  just  what  information  is 


THE  SABBATH.  453 

here  recorded  to  have  been  given  him, — that  a  the 
sixth  day  they  should  gather  twice  the  usuai  quan- 
tity. The  reason  would  be  apparent  to  hhn  from 
his  previous  knowledge  of  the  Sabbath. 

A  second  observation  on  these  verses  is,  that  the 
division  of  time  into  weeks  of  seven  days,  was  pre- 
viously known  ;  a  fact  which  cannot  be  accounted 
for  on  the  supposition  that  this  was  the  original  in- 
stitution of  the  Sabbath. 

Now,  mark  the  occasion  and  the  circumstances 
of  the  declaration,  "  To-morrow  is  the  rest  of  the 
holy  Sabbath."  When  the  manna  was  seen  lying 
on  the  ground,  the  people  knew  not  what  it  was- 
Moses  informs  them  it  was  the  bread  which  the 
Lord  had  given  them  to  eat,  and  that  his  ordinance 
was,  that  every  family  should  gather  each  day  what 
was  necessary,  leaving  none  for  the  morrow.  Ac- 
cordingly, they  so  proceeded  until  they  came  to  the 
sixth  day  of  the  week,  on  w^hich  they  gathered 
twice  as  much,  two  omers  for  one  person.  Where- 
upon all  the  rulers  came  and  told  Moses.  And  he 
said  unto  them,  "  This  is  that  which  the  Lord  hath 
said.  To-morrow  is  the  rest  of  the  holy  Sabbath 
unto  the  Lord,  bake  that  which  ye  will  bake  to-day, 
and  seethe  that  ye  will  seethe :  and  that  which  re- 
maineth  over  lay  up  for  you,  to  be  kept  until  the 
morning."  And  this  he  commands  them  to  do  every 
sixth  day,  as  they  would  find  none  on  the  seventh, 
the  Sabbath. 

The  congregation,  you  perceive,  knew  that  the 


64  INSTITUTION  OF 

morrow  was  the  Sabbath,  for  on  the  sixth  day  they 
gathered  enough  for  two  da3^s.  not  expecting  to  find 
any  on  the  seventh.  How  did  they  know  it  ?  Was 
it  from  their  previous  acquaintance  with  the  Sab- 
bath ]  or  had  Moses  just  informed  them  of  a  reve- 
lation appointing  the  day  ?  We  have  no  account  of 
any  new  revelation  to  Moses  on  this  subject,  when 
God  communicated  with  him  as  recorded  in  verses 
4  and  5.  And  granting  that  God  did  then  inform 
Moses  of  the  precise  day,  which  might  have  been 
lost  in  their  sore  bondage,  it  does  not  appear  that 
Moses  made  any  such  communication  to  the  con- 
gregation, prior  to  their  gathering  "  twice  as  much" 
on  the  sixth  day,  or  that  he  had  even  advised  them 
of  the  necessity  of  gathering  a  double  portion.  It 
is  apparent,  then,  from  the  narrative,  that  the  people 
were  previously  acquainted  with  the  seventh  day  as 
the  rest  of  the  holy  Sabbath. 

But  it  may  be  inquired,  if  the  people  knew  the 
Sabbath  day,  how  came  the  rulers  to  be  ignorant 
of  it  ?  For  it  seems  that  they  are  at  a  loss  to  know 
why  the  congregation  should  gather  a  double  quan- 
tity on  the  sixth  day,  and  therefore  come  and  tell 
Moses,  who  announces  to  them  that  "  to-morrow  is 
the  holy  Sabbath,"  as  a  satisfactory  reason.  It  has 
been  generally  supposed  that,  although  acquainted 
with  a  Sabbath,  they  had  lost  their  reckoning  in 
Egypt,  and  were  uncertain  about  the  day.  But  J 
confess  it  does  not  appear  to  me  probable  that  thf 
©eople  should  have  been  correct  in  the  day,  and  a( 


THE    SABBATH.  65 

the  rulers  have  lost  it.  Nor  is  it  any  more  proba- 
ble that  Moses  could  have  informed  the  congrtga- 
Hon  of  the  day,  without  the  knowledge  of  th-e  rulers  : 
for  they  were  the  proper  persons  through  whom  to 
communicate  to  the  people.  And  this  is  additional 
proof  of  the  inconsistency  of  the  exposition  which 
supposes  Moses  to  have  informed  the  people  of  the 
occurrence  of  the  Sabbath  on  the  seventh  day,  and 
at  the  same  time  the  rulers  to  have  been  ignorant ! 
I  am  therefore  inclined  to  believe  that  both  rulers 
and  congregation  were  acquainted  with  the  fact  that 
the  seventh  day  was  the  Sabbath,  and  that  the  rulers 
came  and  informed  Moses  of  the  people  gathering 
a  double  quantity  on  the  sixth  day,  not  because  they 
were  ignorant  of  the  approach  of  the  Sabbath,  but 
because  they  might  have  doubted  whether  it  would 
be  inappropriate  to  the  sanctity  of  the  day,  to  go 
out  and  gather  their  food  and  prepare  it ;  especially 
as  they  had  received  express  direction  to  gather  only 
enough  for  one  day,  without  any  exception  of  the 
sixth:  for  it  is  evident  from  verses  15,  16,  that 
Moses  had  not  previously  communicated  with  them 
on  the  subject.  Or  rather,  they  informed  Moses  of 
the  conduct  of  the  people,  not  suggesting  the  idea 
of  its  being  a  trangression  of  previous  command 
nor  coming  with  complaint,  or  surprise,  (which  our 
translation  may  seem  to  imply,)  but  believing  them 
to  have  done  rightly  in  collecting  a  double  portion, 
and  coming  to  Moses  only  to  inform  him,  and  in- 
quire what  was  to  be  done  with  it.  (How  perfectly 
F2 


6©  INSTITUTION    OF 

natural  this  inquiry,  since  whatever  had  previously 
been  kept  until  morning,  had  always  bred  worms, 
and  become  offensive  !)  Moses  answers,  This  is 
that  which  the  Lord  hath  said, — the  people  have 
done  ngntly,  have  acted  in  accordance  with  the  will 
of  God  communicated  to  me.  To-morrow  is  the 
rest  of  the  holy  Sabbath,  as  they  know ;  therefore 
hake  and  seethe  what  ye  will  to-day,  and  what  re- 
maineth  over,  lay  up  for  you  until  morning,  and  it 
will  not  smell  as  on  other  days.  So  the  people  laid 
it  up  until  the  morning,  and  then  Moses  command- 
ed them  to  eat  it. 

I  do  not  understand  Moses  as  speaking  to  the 
rulers  in  justification  of  the  people,  or  giving  the 
reason  for  their  double  gathering  on  the  sixth  day, 
by  the  annunciation,  "  To-morrow  is  the  rest  of  the 
holy  Sabbath  unto  the  Lord,"  (for  this  I  presume 
they  knew  equally  with  the  congregation,)  but 
through  the  rulers  promulging  to  the  people,  that  a& 
the  morrow  was  the  Sabbath,  they  must  to-day  bake 
and  seethe  what  they  had  gathered,  and  eat  of  it  on 
the  Sabbath,*  as  then  the)'-  might  look  for  no  supply. 
The  words,  "This  is  what  the  Lord  hath  said," 
having  reference  to  the  conduct  of  the  people,  re- 
ported by  the  rulers,  or  perhaps  to  the  further 
directions  given  to  Moses,  which  he  now  gives  to 

*  We  find  the  will  of  God  on  the  point  clearly  unfolded,  in  the 
5th  verse  :  "  On  the  sixth  day  they  shall  prejxire  that  lohich  they 
b'^ing  i-  and  it  shall  be  twice  as  much  as  they  gather  daily."  The 
requisition  is  plain. 


THE  SABBATH.  6T 

them,  "  Bake  that  you  will  bake,"  &c.,  "  To-morrow 
is  the  Sabbath,"  being  thrown  into  parenthesis. 

But  farther ;  examine  the  very  language  of  this 
annunciation,  and  grant  that  as  far  as  the  determin- 
ing the  precise  day  is  concerned,  it  is  of  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  Sabbath  among  this  people,  yet  is  the 
language  such  as  would  be  used  if  the  rulers  were 
familiar  with  the  existence  of  a  Sabbath.  "To- 
morrow is  the  rest  of  the  holy  Sabbath."  This  is 
the  language  of  one  speaking  to  others  whom  he 
knew  to  be  familiar  with  the  subject.  Just  as  if  you 
had  been  thrown  into  circumstances  in  which  you 
had  lost  your  reckoning  of  days,  and  should  then 
be  released,  and,  finding  me  on  a  certain  day  of  the 
week  preparing  a  double  quantity  of  food  and  fuel, 
should  inquire  the  reason.  I  would  answer,  "  to- 
morrow is  the  Sabbath;"  knowing  you  to  have 
been  acquainted  with  the  existence  of  such  a  sacred 
season.  But  suppose  it  were  a  new  institution, 
never  before  heard  of,  would  I  not  more  fully  give 
you  my  reasons  for  being  employed  as  you  found 
me  ?  Or,  if  I  gave  you  the  above  answer,  would  you 
not  be  surprised,  and  ask  of  the  object  of  the  decree, 
the  manner  in  which  the  day  was  to  be  observed,  and 
the  occasion  of  its  appointment  ?  The  langvage  of 
Moses  then,  on  this  occasion,  is  not  that  which  indi- 
cates the  original  promulgation  of  the  Sabbath,  but 
precisely  such  as  would  be  natural  when  the  institution 
had  been  previously  known,  and  its  duties  generally 
lecognized.     There  is   nothing,  therefore,  in   this, 


68  INSTITUTION    OP 

whole  passage,  which  looks  like  a  primary  institii- 
tion,  but  much  that  indicates  the  "  revival  of  aa 
ancient  law,"  or  an  allusion  to  a  prior  custom. 

The  remarks  made  in  answer  to  this  second  re*?- 
son  of  Paley,  will  obviate  the  fourth,  "that  no 
permission  is  recorded  to  dispense  with  the  institution 
during  the  captivity  of  the  Jews  in  Egypt,  or  on  any 
other  public  emergency." 

There  is  no  record  of  their  neglecting  it  during 
this  period:  nor  do  we  contend  that  they  did. 
Neither  is  there  of  their  neglect  or  observance  during 
the  Babylonish  captivity.  Yet  as  Nehemiah,  and 
his  associates,  observed  it  on  their  returu,  the  pre- 
sumption is  they  did  not  forget  it  in  their  captivity. 

What  has  been  said  in  reference  to  the  29th  verse 
of  this  passage,  *^  for  that  the  Lord  hath  given  you 
the  Sabbath,"  will  explain  those  adduced  by  Dr. 
Paley  from  Ezek.  20,  and  Neh.  9. 

2.  I  shall  now  proceed  to  adduce  sonae  a^rwMz^ire 
proof  of  the  position,  that  the  institijtion  of  the 
Sabbath  is  to  be  dated  from  the  creation  of  the 
world. 

The  universal  division  of  time  into  weeJcs,  pre- 
sents a  fact  which  must  strike  every  one  as  singular, 
and  only  to  be  explained  by  a  reference  to  some 
event  universally  known  and  recognized.  This 
division  seems  to  be  adopted  by  Noah  in  sending  out 
I  he  dove  regularly  every  seventh  day.  It  is  ad- 
verted to  in  the  mourning  for  Jacob:  and  most 
probably  in  the  offerings  of  Cain  and  Abel,  of  whom 


THE    SABBATH.  69 

it  is  said,  that  at  the  end  of  days  they  presented 
them  before  the  Lord.  This  might  naturally  refer 
to  the  end  of  the  week;  and  the  fact  of  their  coming 
at  the  same  time,  indicates  some  com.mon  season  for 
worship.  From  Exodus  we  discover  that  weeks  of 
seven  days  were  familiar  to  the  Jews  prior  to  the 
time  of  the  giving  of  manna. 

Other  nations  also  have  made  the  same  division 
of  days,  and  have  kept  the  seventh  as  a  holy  festi- 
val. Homer  and  Hesiod  mention  it  in  their  early 
day,  and  Josephus  remarks,  "  no  cit}-  2an  be  found 
which  does  not  recognize  it." 

Now  what  explanation  can  be  given  of  tl\ese  two 
connected  facts — this  common  division  into  weeks, 
and  the  universal  consecration  of  the  seventh  day 
to  sacred  purposes — other  than  this,  that  the  Sab- 
bath was  appointed  immediately  after  the  creation, 
and  recurring  every  seventh  day,  at  once  distin- 
guished time  into  periods  of  weeks.  This  appoint- 
ment would  of  course  be  communicated  by  tradition 
to  all  nations,  and  give  rise  to  the  universal  ob- 
servance of  the  seventh  day. 

It  is  thought,  there  is  also  proof  of  the  institution 
of  the  Sabbath  on  the  cessation  of  creation,  in  the 
fourth  commandment.  Remember  the  Sabbath  da'/ 
to  keep  it  holy:  for  in  six  days  the  Lord  made 
heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and 
rested  the  seventh  day ;  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed 
the  Sabbath  day,  and  hallowed  it.  It  is  not  pre- 
tended by  any  that  this  was  the  first  institution  of 


70  INSTITUTIOIJ    OF 

the  Sabbath ;  and  it  is  nianifest  from  the  language 
that  the  day  had  been  previously  blessed  and  sanc- 
tified. When  therefore  we  find  in  Gen.  2:3,  and  in 
no  other  place,  the  same  reason  given  for  the  sanc- 
tification  of  the  Sabbath,  as  here,  and  the  blessing 
and  hallowing  there  announced,  we  are  led  to  con- 
clude that  this  was  the  time  of  the  previous  blessing 
referred  to  in  the  commandment,  and  consequently 
the  true  date  of  its  institution. 

We  cannot,  with  Dr.  Paley,  suppose  the  author  of 
Genesis  to  have  introduced  the  Sabbath  after  the 
account  of  the  creation,  by  way  of  anticipation, 
stating  there  only  the  reason  of  its  appointment, 
and  not  the  fact.  On  the  contrary,  its  mention  in 
this  place,  is  almost,  if  not  altogether,  proof  positive 
that  we  correctly  date  its  origin  at  the  close  of  the 
six  days'  work  of  God. 

How  the  idea  should  ever  have  entered  any  one's 
mind,  is  unaccountable.  Who,  on  reading  the  nar- 
ration, would  suppose  that  Moses  did  not  design  to 
convey  the  idea  that  God  rested  from  his  work  on 
the  seventh  day,  and  then  sanctified  and  blessed  it  ? 
Is  it  not  as  natural  to  interpret  the  whole  account  of 
the  creation,  as  an  account  of  what  was  accomplished 
at  some  future  period?  Might  we  not  with  equal 
propriety  and  reason,  suppose  the  narrative  of  the 
temptation  and  fall,  to  have  reference  to  some  dis- 
tant transaction,  and  thus  be  relieved  from  the 
disagreeable  doctrines  of  representation  and  de- 
pravity ?    We  feel  a  confidence  that  the  first  and 


THE    SABBATH.  71 

nJitural  exposition  of  every  man  would  be,  that  the 
words  contain  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath,  and 
that  any  other  must  result  from  a  necessity  arising 
out  of  some  preconceived  view  of  the  subject. 

These  considerations,  in  connexion  with  the  proof 
that  its  origin  can  be  found  nowhere  else,  induce 
the  conclusion,  that  the  Sabbath  is  coeval  with  the 
existence  of  man,  and  shed  its  holy  light  and  Joy 
around  him  on  his  first  day^s  being, 

II.  The  second  topic  of  discourse,  is  the  Author 
of  the  institution.  The  infidel  will,  of  course,  deny 
the  divine  institution  of  the  Sabbath ;  for,  with  the 
Bible,  he  rejects  all  its  institutions.  But  among 
those  who  hold  the  inspiration  of  the  scriptures, 
there  are  some  who  contend  that  the  Sabbath  origin- 
ally appointed  of  God,  was  given  only  to  the  Jews, 
and  is,  with  the  ceremonies  of  that  dispensation, 
entirely  abrogated, — that  there  is  now  no  Sabbath  of 
divine  appointment,  and  that  the  whole  obligation 
to  keep  a  day  holy  to  the  Lord,  arises  from  the 
'3xpediency  and  utility  of  it. 

You  perceive,  at  once,  that  if  there  be  no  higher 
foundation  of  obligation  in  reference  to  a  Sabbath, 
than  merely  human  enactment,  it  is  not  likely  long 
to  maintain  its  sanctity,  against  the  overwhelming 
torrent  of  human  depravity,  which  will  never,  for 
any  great  length  of  time,  sacrifice  its  own  interest 
to  views  of  expediency.  Nothing  but  divine  com- 
mand brought  to  bear  on  the  conscience,  will  be 
sufficiently  powerful  to  stay   the  proud  march  of 


d4  I^-STITUTION    OF 

fallen  man  to  the  accomplishment  of  his  own  private 
views  and  secular  interests.  And  therefore  we 
rejoice  that  in  the  page  of  inspiration  can  be  found 
the  institution  of  a  Sabbath  which  is  perpetual,  and 
has  God,  and  not  man,  for  its  author.  On  this 
ground  we  rest  all  our  hopes  of  its  preservation  from 
universal  desecration.  God  will  guard  his  own 
institutions,  and  although,  for  wise  purposes,  infidels 
may  be  permitted  to  trample  it  under  feet  in  our 
land,  yet  in  another  will  it  appear  again,  and  shine 
forth  to  the  admiration  of  the  world  with  renewed 
splendors,  until  its  holy  light  shall  diffuse  a  heavenly 
joy  through  the  habitations  of  man  in  every  cornei 
of  this  benighted  earth. 

You  read  its  origin  in  Gen.  2:3,  "And  God  blessed 
the  seventh  day  and  sanctified  it,  because  that  in  ii 
he  had  rested  from  all  his  work,  w^hich  God  created 
and  made."  The  light  of  nature  could  never  have 
informed  us,  that  it  was  proper  to  worship  God 
socially  one  day  in  seven.  It  could  teach  us  only 
the  duty  of  worship,  without  any  of  its  specifications 
of  time  or  form.  But  the  Author  of  nature  has 
spoken,  and  for  the  benefit  of  the  human  family,  set 
apart  every  seventh  day  as  sacred  to  religious  pur- 
[)0ses.  And  man  can  never  exempt  himself  from 
the  obligation,  unless  he  show  that  the  appointment 
was  originally  limited  to  a  particular  people,  or  has 
since  been  repealed.  Neither  of  which  will  be  very 
easily  done.  For  however  the  day  may  have  been 
changed,  that  will  not  affect  the  sanctification  of  a 


THE    SABBATH.  id 

seventh  part  of  time.  And  having  nrnde  it  appear 
that  its  original  institution  was  not  connected  with 
the  Mosaic  law,  but  with  the  termination  of  God's 
creation  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  it  is  of  course 
independent  on  that  system,  not  affected  by  its  abro- 
gation, and  reaches  man  at  the  present  day,  having 
inscribed  on  its  broad  basis,  the  divinity  of  its  origin, 
— "  God  blessed  and  sanctified  it." 

May  not  its  divine  original  be  farther  maintained 
from  what  the  Saviour  says  of  himself  to  the  Jews, 
"  The  Son  of  man  is  Lord  also  of  the  Sabbath  ?" 
The  term  Lord,  implies  dominion,  authority  over. 
The  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  is,  therefore,  one  who  has 
authority  over  it,  to  whom  it  is  subject.  Christ,  then, 
declares  the  Sabbath  to  be  subject  to  his  authority. 
And  it  could  only  be  so  in  reference  to  its  appoint- 
ment as  a  day  of  rest,  the  prescription  of  its  duties, 
or  the  repeal  of  the  statute  ordaining  it. 

But  surely,  it  will  not  be  contended  by  those  who 
deny  the  divinity  of  Christ,  and  make  him  only  a 
man,  that  as  a  man  he  had  authority  either  to  insti- 
tute, or  prescribe,  the  duties  of  the  Sabbath,  and 
much  less  to  repeal  existing  laws  ? 

Whence,  then,  did  he  derive  his  lordship  over  the 
Sabbath  ?  Was  it  as  a  messenger  sent  of  God  ?  If 
so,  his  appointments,  prescriptions,  and  repeals,  bear 
the  stamp  of  divine  authority,  and  derive  all  their 
obligation  on  us  from  this  fact.  Even  in  this  light, 
the  declaration,  that  the  Son  of  man  is  Lord  of  the 
Sabbath,  would  mark  it  out  as  a  divine  institution* 
G 


74  INSTITUTION  OF 

Perhaps  it  may  be  answered  that  the  delegated 
■authority  of  Christ  over  the  Sabbath,  extended  only 
to  the  repeal,  or  the  modification  of  the  Jewish  Sab" 
bath,  and  therefore  it  could  not  be  argued  that  its 
institution  was  divine,  although  it  could  be  fairly 
inferred  that  its  repeal  or  regulation  was.  It  might 
•be  a  divme  abrogation  of  a  human  institution.  It 
might  be  so,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  Christ  con- 
sidered the  laws  of  Moses  as  those  of  a  human  legis- 
lator. On  the  contrary,  he  everywhere  acknow- 
ledges his  divine  legation,  and  speaks  of  him  as  a 
prophet  sent  from  God  to  announce  his  laws  to  the 
people  of  Israel.  Granting,  then,  that  the  delivery 
of  the  law  in  the  wilderness  contained  the  first  ap- 
pointment  of  a  Sabbath,  and  farther,  that  Christ's 
lordship  over  it  extended  only  to  a  delegated  power 
to  modify  its  duties,  or  entirely  repeal  it,  unless  it 
could  be  clearly  shown  that  the  Jewish  Sabbath  (of 
which  the  Saviour  speaks)  was  a  human  institution, 
it  would  follow  from  his  delegated  pow'er  to  modify 
or  repeal,  that  it  was  divine.  For  only  the  institu- 
tor  has  authority  to  alter  or  repeal.  And  if  it  be 
contended  that  Christ  was  sent  from  God  with  pow- 
er to  repeal,  and  that  this  constituted  his  lordship, 
even  on  this  supposition  the  result  would  be,  that 
Ood  had  been  the  author  of  it. 

But  the  most  natural  interpretation  of  these  word.*' 
is,  that  Christ  here  asserts  his  complete  lordship  or 
authority  over  the  Sabbath,  both  in  regard  to  its 
original  institution,  and  his  consequent  right  to  altP' 


I 


THE    SABBATH.  t5 

or  abolish.  And  this  he  could  do  only  as  he  was 
the  Word  who  was  with  God,  and  was  God.  Hence, 
the  institution  is  divine. 


CHAPTER  II. 

PERPETUAL  OBLIGATION  OF  THE  SABBATH. 

In  the  last  chapter  our  attention  was  directed  to 
that  holy  day  of  rest  from  the  ordinary  occupations 
of  life,  which  God  has  appointed  for  the  human 
family.  It  was  considered  in  reference  to  its  divine 
institution,  and  the  date  of  its  origin.  In  opposition 
to  those  who  find  its  rise  under  the  Jewish  dispensa- 
tion, and  deduce  it  from  the  passage  recorded  in 
Exod.  16:22 — 31,  it  was  shown  to  be  nothing  re- 
markable, "  if  the  Sabbath  was  appointed  at  the  time 
of  creation,"  that  there  is  no  mention  of  it  in  the 
brief  record  of  2500  years,  but  that  this  is  rather 
as  we  should  have  expected  it  to  be — and  that  the 
argument  from  the  silence  of  the  historian,  if  valid, 
would  lead  us  to  the  conclusion  that  there  was  no 
Sabbath  among  the  Israelites  for  five  hundred  years 
after  the  supposed  institution  in  Exodus,  and  that 
for  eight  hundred  years  from  the  time  of  Moses, 
there  was  no  practice  of  circumcision. 

On  an  examination  of  the  passage  in  Exodus  16, 
there  was  discovered  nothing  in  the  language,  or 
recorded  circumstances,  which  indicates  the  procla- 
mation of  a  new,  but  everything  which  evincGs  a 


7fi  PERPETUAL    OBLIGATION 

reference  to  an  old  institution,  with  which  the  rulers 
and  people  had  both  been  familiar. 

The  passages  of  Nehemiah  and  Ezekiel,  and  that 
verse  in  Exodus  16,  in  which  God  is  said  to  have 
given  them  the  Sabbath,  on  which  much  dependence 
had  been  placed,  were  seen  to  contain  no  evidence 
of  original  institution,  and  to  be  fully  explained  by 
the  interpretation  of  the  preceding  verses  of  the 
passage  in  Exodus.  After  this  removal  of  objections, 
affirmative  evidence  was  adduced,  fixing  the  date 
of  the  institution  at  the  close  of  the  six  days'  crea- 
tion. 

1.  The  acknowledged  fact  of  the  division  of  time 
nito  weeks  among  all  nations,  and  the  allusion  to  it 
in  Genesis ;  the  only  satisfactory  reason  for  which 
division,  apparent  to  us,  is  the  traditional  knowledge 
of  a  Sabbath. 

2.  The  universal  sanctification  of  the  seventh 
day  to  religious  purposes,  in  connexion  with  the 
fact  that  the  same  great  reason  is  assigned  for  it. 

3.  The  evidence  derived  from  the  fourth  com- 
mandment, in  which  God  himself  declares  sl  previous 
blessing  and  hallowing  of  the  day,  and  seems  to  fix 
that  previous  time  at  the  period  mentioned  in  Gene- 
sis, by  his  use  of  the  same  language  there  record- 
ed ;  and  not  at  that  spoken  of  in  Exodus,  in  which 
there  is  no  hint  of  a  hallowing,  nor  any  reason  given 

or  the  appointment. 

4.  The  narration  itself,  in  which  there  is  every 
appearance  of  the  preservation  of  the  order  of  time, 


OF  THE  SABBATH.  T7 

and  which  would  strike  every  reader  as  an  account 
not  only  of  the  reason,  but  equally  of  the  time  of 
the  institution  of  the  Sabbath. 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  prove  the  perpetual  obli- 
gation of  the  Sabbath. 

1.  This  may  be  established,  in  the  first  place, 
from  the  date  of  the  institution.  In  the  language 
of  our  opponents  themselves,  "  If  the  divine  com- 
mand was  actually  delivered  at  the  creation,  it  was 
addressed  no  doubt  to  the  whole  human  species 
alike,  and  continues,  unless  repealed  by  some  sub- 
sequent revelation,  binding  upon  all  who  come  to 
the  knowledge  of  it.  This  opinion  precludes  all 
debate  about  the  extent  of  the  obligation." 

The  only  ground  on  which  it  is  attempted  to  re- 
move the  present  and  future  obligation  of  the  Sab- 
bath, is  that  it  had  its  rise  among  the  ceremonial 
institutions  of  the  Israelites,  and  is  therefore  done 
away  under  the  gospel,  as  one  of  the  shadows  of 
the  law  of  carnal  commandments.  If  this  ground 
have  fallen,  and  the  institution  be  rightly  placed  at 
the  very  commencement  of  time,  long  before  the 
Israelites  as  a  people  had  a  nanife  on  the  earth,  then 
it  comes  down  to  us  as  part  of  the  species  for  whom 
it  was  given — then  the  Jewish  nation  observed  it 
and  adopted  it  into  their  law,  both  civil  and  eccle- 
siastical, not  as  peculiar  to  themselves,  but  as  a 
portion  of  that  family  whose  common  gift  it  is, — 
and  then,  when  they  cease  to  be  the  treasury  of 
the  oracles  of  God,  the  royal  priesthood,  the  holy 
G2 


78  PERPETUAL    OBLIGATION 

nation,  it  descends  to  the  Gentiles  as  their  rightful 
inheritance,  and  hecomes  a  sign  between  God  and 
all  people  who  observe  it.  An  institution  which 
was  confirmed  before  of  God,  the  law,  which  was 
2500  years  after,  could  not  disannul  to  make  it  of 
none  effect. 

Let  be  remarked,  also,  that  the  Sabbath  was  given 
to  Adam  in  innocency,  to  be  observed  by  him  and 
his  posterity  in  case  of  their  continued  holiness,  and 
formed  no  part  of  the  hand-writing  of  ordinances, 
which  was  added  because  of  transgression.  Neither 
is  it  too  carnal,  nor  does  it  partake  too  much  of  an 
external  ordinance,  for  the  spirituality  of  any  dis- 
pensation given  to  man  on  earth,  since  it  was 
appointed  for  him  in  all  his  primitive  spirituality,  as 
he  came  fresh  from  the  hand  of  his  Creator,  clothed 
in  the  moral  beauty  of  his  own  image. 

And  it  surely  can  never  be  contended  that  its  ob- 
ligation was  confined  to  man  in  his  state  of  holiness 
for  it  existed,  and  its  observance  was  commanded.. 
as  well  after,  as  before  the  fall.  It  stands  on  the 
same  footing  with  the  institution  of  marriage.  This 
took  place  between  Adam  and  Eve  prior  to  their  loss 
of  innocence,  but,  as  it  was  appointed  for  the  whole 
human  family,  it  existed  after  the  fall,  under  the 
law,  and  since  its  abrogation.  And  any  peculiar 
modification  of  the  original  institution  which  may 
have  been  permitted,  or  any  severity  of  penalty  that 
may  have  been  attached  to  its  violation  under  the 
Mosaic  polity,  has  not  affected  its  present  and  per- 


OF    THE    SABBATH.  T9 

petual  obligation.  So  the  Sabbath,  set  apart  imme- 
diately on  the  creation  of  man,  cannot  be  supposed 
to  belong  exclusively  to  the  Israelites,  unless  so 
recognized.  For  they  are  no  more  nearly  related, 
nor  any  more  intimately  connected  with  Adam,  than 
other  branches  of  his  great  family ;  nor  can  the 
adoption  of  it  into  their  code,  any  more  restrict  it  to 
them,  than  the  adoption  of  the  marriage  institution 
can  confine  it  to  their  nation  exclusively.  And  of 
course,  the  abrogation  of  a  system  of  rites  and 
ceremonies  which  had  its  beginning  thousands  of 
years  subsequently,  and  of  which  it  was  no  original 
part,  only  incorporated  as  a  law  univei^ally  binding, 
cannot  blot  out  its  prior  and  superior  obligation. 

Some  explicit  repeal  of  the  statute  by  divine  au- 
thority, must  be  pointed  out,  before  we  dare  abolish 
that  holy  rest,  which  had  its  origin  under  circum- 
stances, and  at  a  time,  which  clearly  mark  it  out  as 
the  property  of  every  people.  If  it  were  a  part  of 
the  ceremonial  law,  then  it  were  easy  to  show  its 
abrogation  under  the  general  repeal  of  the  hand- 
writing of  ordinances,  by  the  coming  of  Christ,  the 
great  antitype.  But  since  it  is  no  part  of  that  sys- 
tem, we  must  look  for  some  other  annunciation, 
which  will  strike  it  out  from  the  number  of  gospel 
institutions.  That  annunciation  cannot  be  found, 
and  therefore,  on  the  ground  of  its  early  date,  at 
the  creation,  "it  continues  binding  on  all  who  come 
to  the  knowledge  of  it." 

2.  I  establish  the  perpetual  and  universal  obliga- 


60  PERPETUAL    OBLIGATION 

lion  of  the  Sabbath,  in  the  second  place,  by  the 
'perpetual  application  of  the  reason  attached  to  its 
institution,  and  the  vniversality  of  the  end  proposed 
by  it. 

The  great  reason  assigned  by  God  for  blessing 
and  sanctifying  the  Sabbath,  both  in  the  second 
chapter  of  Genesis,  and  in  the  fourth  commandment, 
is  the  fact  that  he  rested  from  the  work  of  creation. 

It  ought  to  be  noted  that  there  is  implied  in  the 
word  rested,  completion,  perfection,  intimating  that 
God's  rest  was  not  an  actual  idleness,  a  vacuity  of 
mind  or  employment,  but  the  completion  of  a  work 
which  in  its  every  part  was  such  as  he  designed, 
and  would  display  to  intelligent  beings  the  glory  of 
his  character.  At  the  close  of  this  work,  executed 
in  infinite  wisdom,  and  contemplated  by  Deity  him- 
self as  very  good,  God  sanctified  a  seventh  portion 
of  man's  time,  and  left  him  his  own  example  to 
imitate.  And  the  example  of  Jehovah,  when  set 
before  us,  as  far  as  it  is  imitable,  becomes  authorita- 
tive law  to  the  whole  universe. 

It  would  be  singular  indeed,  if  God's  ceasing  from 
a  work  which  was  intended  to  exhibit  his  glorious 
perfections  to  the  admiration  of  all  intellectual  beings, 
were  a  reason  to  be  employed  in  securing  the  ob- 
servance of  the  Sabbath  among  the  Jewish  people 
only.  It  is  manifestly  alike  applicable  to  all,  and 
strongly  intimates,  that  the  institution  with  which  it 
is  connected,  was  appointed  to  be  equally  extensive 
in  its  oblisjation.     God  rested  from  his  work  which 


OF    THE    SABBATH.  81 

he  had  created  and  made,  blessed  and  hallowed  the 
day,  and  commanded,  not  only  Jews,  but  all  people, 
to  remember  it  and  keep  it  holy. 

Nor  will  it  suffice  as  an  answer  to  this  argument, 
to  say,  that  in  Deut.  "  the  commandment  is  repeated 
with  a  reference  to  a  different  event,"  viz.  the  de- 
liverance of  the  Israelites  from  their  Egyptian 
bondage ;  and  that  when  afterward  '•  spoken  of  as 
peculiar  to  the  people  of  Israel,"  it  is  founded  on 
this  same  universal  reason.  There  is  nothing  absurd 
in  the  idea  of  adding  to  the  first  weighty  reason, 
others  of  subordinate  importance,  which  are  forcibly 
applicable  in  the  circumstances  in  which  they  are 
announced.  Thus,  while  in  the  fourth  command- 
ment God  promulges  the  chief  reason  for  which  he 
had  blessed  the  Sabbath,  in  repeating  it  afterward, 
he  impresses  on  the  Jews  with  additional  force,  their 
obligation  in  reference  to  part  of  the  duties  of  the 
day,  by  adverting  to  their  former  subjection  to 
bondage :  "  Because  ye  have  been  servants  in  Egypt, 
with  special  reason,  I  command  you  to  remember 
the  Sabbath,  that  thy  man-servant  and  thy  maid- 
servant may  rest  as  well  as  thou." 

In  regard  to  the  other  part  of  the  answer,  "  that 
God's  rest  from  creation  is  proposed  as  the  reason 
of  the  institution,  even  when  it  is  spoken  of  as 
peculiar  to  the  Jews,"  nothing  is  certainly  more 
natural  than  that  this  prime  reason  should  be  en- 
forced on  the  Jews,  when  God  was  treating  peculiarly 
with  them,  and  they  were  the  only  people  on  earth 


82  PERPETUAL    OBLIGATION 

who  observed  this  sacred  time.  The  same  reason 
would  have  been  given  had  any  other  than  the  Jews 
been  the  subjects  of  the  command..  To  say  that  it 
IS  "  spoken  of  as  pecuHar  to  the  Jews,"  however,  is 
more  than  is  warrantable.  It  is  indeed  recognized 
as  peculiar  to  them  in  its  observation,  and  renewed 
enforcement,  but  not  in  its  obligation. 

The  fact  then  that  God's  resting  from  his  work  is 
attached  to  the  command,  as  the  foundation  of  the 
institution,  when  he  gave  it  specially  to  the  Jews, 
does  not  limit  either  the  reason,  or  the  command, 
but  leaves  them  equally  applicable  to  all  others. 

If  we  now  advert  to  the  end  or  objects  of  the 
institution,  we  shall  perceive  them  to  be  adapted 
equally  to  the  whole  human  family,  and  not  pecu- 
liarly to  the  Jews.  And  hence  its  perpetvity  is 
inferred.  Was  it  intended  to  relieve  both  man  and 
beast  from  the  wearisomeness  of  uninterrupted  labor  ? 
Then  do  all  need  it  as  much  as  the  Israelites.  Was 
It  designed  to  be  commemorative  of  the  eternity, 
independence,  self-existence,  and  all  the  glorious 
perfections  of  Deity,  as  evinced  in  the  work  of  his 
hands  ?  Then  are  all,  equally  with  the  Jews,  inter- 
ested in  this  commemoration.  Was  it  provided  as  a 
means  of  man's  growth  and  establishment  in  holi- 
ness ?  Then  does  its  end  proclaim  it  loudly  to  be  the 
birthright  of  every  intelligent  creature  on  God's 
earth,  a  common  inheritance  to  all  the  sons  and 
daughters  of  Adam.  Who  is  the  Jew,  that  his  con- 
stitution alone,  and  that  of  his  servants  and  beasts, 


OF    THE    SABBATH.  83 

require  a  regular  return  of  freedom  from  the  exhaust- 
ing fatigues  of  constant  labor  ?  Who  is  the  Jew,  that 
he  only  may  set  apart  one  day  in  seven  for  singing 
the  high  praises  of  God, — that  he  only  is  obliged  to 
bear  in  remembrance  the  power,  and  wisdom,  and 
goodness  of  God,  displayed  in  his  completed  work 
of  creation  ?  Who  is  the  Jew,  that  he  only  needs 
this  pre-eminently  blessed  mean  of  attaining  and 
securing  conformity  with  the  image  of  God  ?  No  ! 
verily,  you  and  I,  and  Adam,  and  Noah,  are,  as 
much  as  he,  interested  in  this  heavenly  attainment. 
We,  equally  with  him,  must  commemorate  the  six 
days'  work  of  Jehovah.  And  our  constitution,  as 
well  as  his,  was  so  made  as  to  require  the  rest  of 
the  Sabbath.  Whether,  then,  you  consider  the 
assigned  reason  of  the  institution,  or  its  end,  you 
arrive  at  the  conclusion  that  it  is  perpetually  obliga- 
tory wherever  known. 

3.  This  leads  me  to  a  third  proof  of  its  perpetual 
obligation,  derived  from  the  declaration  of  the  Lord 
of  the  Sabbath,  that  it  was  made  for  man.  It  was 
instituted  by  God,  and  intended  not  for  any  particu- 
lar class  of  men,  but  for  the  whole  race,  wherever, 
and  under  whatever  circumstances,  they  should  be 
found.  It  was  adapted  in  its  nature  not  to  one  sex 
of  mankind,  but  to  both — not  to  man  in  his  inno- 
cence only,  but  in  his  guilt — not  to  man  under  the 
Mosaic  system  exclusively,  but  to  man  under  the 
patriarchal,  the  gospel,  the  millennial  state  also.  The 
term  man  is  generic,  and  not  specific  or  distinctive 


81  PERPETUAL    OBLIGATION 

It  includes  Adam  with  all  his  descendants  as  long 
as  they  live  on  earth,  sustain  their  present  relations, 
and  possess  the  capacities  of  human  nature.  To 
man  it  comes  with  the  whole  force  of  its  obligation, 
whether  he  be  rich  or  poor,  high  or  low,  master  or 
servant,  king  or  subject — whether  in  his  individual 
or  in  his  associated  capacity.  For  if  it  was  insti- 
tuted for  man  indefinitely,  then  the  law  binds  him 
in  all  his  relations,  whether  to  his  family  or  to  his 
government.  And  the  fact  of  his  acting  with  others, 
as  a  legislator,  or  a  ruler  of  his  country,  will  not 
release  him,  for  he  is  still  man  :  and  so  are  all  who 
are  associated  with  him  in  legislation  and  govern- 
ment. And,  therefore,  if  individually  obhged  by  the 
law  in  this  relation,  so  also  collectively, 

4.  As  a  fourth  evidence  of  the  perpetual  obliga- 
tion of  the  Sabbath,  I  may  briefly  appeal  to  'prophe- 
cies which  recognize  its  existence  under  the  gospel, 
and  of  course  to  the  end  of  time,  as  the  present  dis- 
pensation is  announced  as  the  final  one,  and  ap- 
pointed for  the  church  until  the  providential  system 
of  this  world  shall  be  wound  up,  and  Christians  be 
caught  up  unto  the  Lord  in  the  air. 

Examine,  for  instance,  Psa.  118:22—24.  "  The 
stone  which  the  builders  refused  is  become  the  head 
stone  of  the  corner.  This  is  the  Lord's  doing ;  it  is 
marvellous  in  our  eyes.  This  is  the  day  which  the 
Lord  hath  made ;  we  will  rejoice  and  be  glad  in  it." 
If  this  passage  be  prophetical,  and  refer  to  the  times 
of  the  Messiah,  as  it  would  seem  from  1  Pet.  2:7, 


OF    THE    SABBATH.  85 

where  the  language  is  quoted  as  apphcable  to  Christ, 
then  under  the  gospel  is  there  "  a  day  which  the 
Lord  hath  made,"  or  set  apart  for  himself,  on  which 
the  gates  of  the  sanctuary  will  1)0  open,  and  the 
righteous  will  enter,  to  praise  the  Lord,  rejoice  and 
be  glad  in  it.  This  is  certainly  completely  an 
exactly  fulfilled  in  the  united  worship  which  is  offer 
ed  to  the  Lord  on  that  day,  on  whose  glorious  morn 
ing,  bright  with  blessings  to  the  world,  he  became 
the  head  stone  of  the  corner. 

Look,  also,  at  Isa.  56:6 — 8.  "  Also  the  sons  of 
the  stranger,  that  join  themselves  to  the  Lord,  to 
serve  him,  and  to  love  the  name  of  the  Lord,  to  be 
his  servants,  every  one  that  keepeth  the  Sabbath 
from  polluting  it,  and  taketh  hold  of  my  covenant : 
Even  them  will  I  bring  to  my  holy  mountain,  and 
make  them  joyful  in  my  house  of  prayer  :  their 
burnt-ofierings  and  their  sacrifices  shall  be  accepted 
upon  mine  altar ;  for  my  house  shall  be  called  a 
ho'use  of  prayer  for  all  people.  The  Lord  God, 
which  gathcreth  the  outcasts  of  Israel,  saith,  Yet 
will  1  gather  others  to  him.  besides  those  that  are 
gathered  unto  him."  "  Sons  of  the  stranger,"  it  is 
universally  conceded,  is  a  phrase  equivalent  to  the 
Gentiles.  And,  that  this  is  a  prophecy  relative  to 
the  last  days,  or  the  gospel  state,  in  which  the  mul- 
titude of  the  Gentiles  should  join  themselves  to  the 
Lord,  is  apparent  from  the  assertion,  that  in  the 
days  of  the  accomplishment  of  this  prophecy,  the 
house  of  the  Lord  shall  be  a  house  of  prayer  for  all 
H 


86  PERPETUAL    OBLIGATION 

jieople,  and  that  there  should  be  gathered  to  the  out- 
casts of  Israel,  others  beside  those  that  were  gather- 
ed unto  hmi. 

Never  was  the  house  of  God  an  house  of  pra3'ei 
for  all  people,  until  the  close  of  the  Jewish  dispensa 
tion  and  the  introduction  of  a  better  covenant,  under 
which  neither  at  Jerusalem,  nor  Samaria,  would  be 
the  place  of  worship,  but  wherever  two  or  three 
were  gathered  together  to  worship  in  the  name  of 
Christ.  But  at  this  time  the  prophecy  indicates  the 
existence  of  the  Sabbath,  and  places  the  piety  of  the 
worshippers  partly  in  their  keeping  this  holy  day 
from  polluting  it.     Consult  also  Isaiah  66:23. 

5.  A  fifth  argument  in  favor  of  the  perpetual  and 
universal  obligation  of  the  Sabbath,  is  found  in  the 
moral  nature  of  the  institution.  It  has  been  con- 
tended that  it  is  not  moral,  but  ceremonial,  as  much 
as  many  other  institutions  under  the  law,  such  as 
the  passover,  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  of  pentecost, 
&c.  For  the  determining  of  this  point,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  advert  to  the  distinction  between  moral 
and  positive,  or  ceremonial  precepts. 

Moral  are  such  as  regulate  the  moral  conduct  of 
intelligent  beings,  and  result  from  the  immutable 
relations  of  creatures  to  God  and  to  one-another. 
Of  course,  they  are  universally  binding  wherever 
the  relations  exist,  which  they  recognize  and  regu- 
late. Such  are  the  precepts  requiring  us  to  love 
and  worship  God,  and  honor  our  parents. 

Positive  precepts  are  those  which  create  duties, 


OF    THE    SABBATH.  87 

which  require  conduct  of  moral  beings,  that,  inde- 
pendently of  the  precepts,  would  never  have  been 
obligatory,  but  always  remained  indifferent.  They 
impose  obligations,  which  are  not  dependent  on  the 
natural  relations  of  those  obliged,  but  are  originated 
entirely  by  the  commands  themselves. 

Those,  also,  are  generally  called  positive  pre- 
cepts, which  first  make  known  a  certain  course  of 
conduct,  or  certain  acts,  as  duties,  which,  although 
resulting  from  the  relations  of  rational  beings,  and 
perceived  to  do  so  when  known,  would  never  have 
been  discovered  to  be  duties,  but  for  the  precept 
pointing  them  out  as  such.  These,  however,  are, 
properly  speaking,  moral  in  their  nature,  as  they 
do  not  regulate  acts  which  are  indifferent,  nor  create 
duties ;  but  only  command  what  was  already  a 
duty,  although  unknown  by  the  subjecto  of  the 
command. 

If  you  now  apply  these  definitions  to  the  com- 
mand requiring  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  you 
will  discover  it  to  be  of  a  moral  nature.  What  are 
the  purposes  of  the  command  ?  It  requires  cessation 
from  sec-ular  employments,  rest  for  both  man  and 
beast,  one  day  in  seven — it  demands  the  sanctifying 
or  setting  apart  of  this  day  to  religious  purposes, 
especially  the  commemoration  of  God's  works  and 
attributes  therein  displayed  —  it  provides  for  the 
spiritual  and  eternal  interests  of  men,  in  the  acqui- 
sition and  increase  of  holy  dispositions.  And  are 
not  these  requirements  founded  on  the  nature  and 


83  PERPETUAL    OBLIGATION 

relations  of  man  ?  Is  it  a  matter  of  indifference,  in- 
dependently of  the  precept,  whether  man  gives  that 
repose  from  hard  labor,  to  himself  and  his  beast, 
which  experience  has  taught  us  to  be  essential  to  the 
strength  and  permanent  vigor  of  body  and  mind  ? 
Is  it  a  thins  indifferent,  whether  or  not  man  recoo;. 
nize  his  dependence  on  God,  and  commemorate  the 
perfections  of  Jehovah  in  proper  worship?  Is  it 
wholly  indifferent  whether  men  attain  holiness  or 
not,  and  thus  fulfil  the  great  end  of  their  being? 
Plainly,  all  these  things  result  as  duties,  from  the 
relations  of  man  as  a  moral  being,  and  therefore  the 
command  requiring  them,  is  of  a  moral  nature,  and 
so  is  the  institution  of  which  they  are  the  purposes. 
But  it  is  the  characteristic  of  a  moral  precept,  or  of 
an  institution  founded  on  a  moral  precept,  to  be 
universal  and  perpetual  in  its  obligation,  wherever 
the  relations  exist  which  it  regulates ;  therefore,  the 
Sabbath  being  such  an  institution,  is  perpetually 
obligatory  on  man. 

Nor  will  it  be  any  objection  to  this,  that  man 
could  not  have  known  the  propriety  of  worshipping 
God  socially  one  day  in  seven,  but  for  the  precept 
requiring  it.  Men  were  universally  bound,  from 
their  relations  to  God,  to  commemorate  his  perfec- 
tions exhibited  in  the  works  of  his  hand,  and  were 
equally  bound  to  do  it  in  the  best  manner.  When- 
ever, therefore,  they  ascertain  the  best  manner  of 
performing  the  duty,  (and  this  is  now  made  known 
by  the  choice  and  command  of  God,)  that  mannei 


OF    THE    SABBATH.  89 

is  binding  equally  with  the  duty  itself,  and  as  con- 
stituting  part  of  it.  The  observance  of  one  day  in 
seven,  is,  then,  a  perpetual  and  universal  duty.  Its 
moral  nature,  and,  consequently,  perpetual  obliga- 
tion, may  be  clearly  inferred  also  from  the  fact,  that 
the  prophets  uniformly  class  a  violation  of  its 
sanctity  with  transgressions  of  the  moral  laiv,  as 
may  be  seen  by  a  reference  to  those  passages  of  the 
prophecies,  in  which  the  subject  is  mentioned.  This 
cannot  be  otherwise  explained,  than  that  God,  who 
inspired  the  prophets,  considered  the  Sabbath  a 
moral  institution,  and  its  desecration  equally  crimi- 
nal with  the  transgression  of  any  other  moral  law. 

6.  I  prove,  again,  the  perpetual  obhgation  of  the 
Sabbath,  from  its  place  in  the  Decalogue,  or  moral 
law.  The  nine  other  precepts  of  the  law,  are  mani- 
festly, and  without  exception,  acknowledged  to  be 
nx)ral,  and  of  universal  application  and  obligation  ; 
and  no  good  reason  can  be  given,  why  this  is  not 
equally  so.  Its  moral  nature,  also,  might  have 
been  proved  from  its  location. 

But  I  wish  it  to  be  remarked,  that  the  law  com- 
manding the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  along  with 
the  remaining  nine  of  the  Decalogue,  was  announ- 
ced by  the  awful  voice  of  God  himself,  from  the 
midst  of  lightnings  and  thunderings,  so  that  the 
people  trembled,  stood  afar  off,  and  desired  that  God 
might  speak  no  more. 

Observe,  farther,  that  it  was  written  by  the  fnger 
3f  God,  on  a  table  of  stone,  first  prepared  by  him 
H2 


00  PERPETUAL    OBLIGATION 

self;  and  when  this  was  broken,  again  written  with 
his  own  finger  on  a  table  of  stone  prepared  by 
Moses.  A  table,  or  pillar  of  stone,  was  a  symbol 
of  durability  and  perpetuity ;  and  this  symbol  God 
employed,  no  doubt,  to  express  the  perpetuity  of  the 
command  written  upon  it.  He  signalized  this  pre- 
cept also,  with  the  others  of  the  Decalogue,  by  twice 
impressing  them  with  his  own  finger  on  the  tables 
of  stone. 

Now  the  question  presents  itself,  why  were  these 
ten  precepts  so  remarkably  signalized  ?  Why  were 
they  uttered  by  the  voice  of  God  amid  the  black- 
ness and  darkness,  and  the  horrible  tempest  of 
Sinai?  Why  were  they  inscribed  with  his  own  finger 
on  monuments  symbolical  of  perpetuity,  while  the 
other  laws  were  all  written  by  Moses  himself  as 
dictated  by  God  ?  Was  it  not  to  point  out  their  pre- 
eminent importance,  and  emphatically  their  univer- 
sal and  perpetual  obligation  ?  And  why,  if  the  fourth 
be  not  equally  obligatory  with  the  rest,  was  it 
introduced  among  them  without  limit  or  restriction, 
and  surrounded  with  all  the  splendors,  and  marked 
with  all  the  peculiarities  which  attached  to  the  others  ? 

There  was  another  ritual  law  in  which  it  might 
have  been  written,  and  would  have  been,  had  not 
Jehovah  designedly  placed  it  where  it  would  be  dis- 
tinguished as  a  part  of  the  moral  law,  perpetually 
binding  on  man. 

Here,  then,  it  stands  linked  in  cbse  connexion 
vi^ith  the  other  nine  precepts  of  the  moral  lav\',  which 


OF    THE    SABBATH.  91 

are  confessedly  binding  on  all.  And  who  shall 
break  the  link  and  sunder  it  from  its  fellows  1  Here 
it  is,  written  by  the  same  finger  which  recorded  the 
rest,  bright  with  the  glories  which  flashed  from  the 
mount  of  its  promulgation,  and  who  shall  limit  its 
application  to  one  people,  and  strip  it  of  all  the 
peculiarities  which  Jehovah  has  thrown  around  it 
Stand  off;  for  this  is  holy  ground. 

It  will  not  do  to  say,  in  answer  to  this,  as  Dr. 
Paley  has,  "  that  the  distinction  between  moral  or 
natural,  and  positive,  was  not  Imown  to  the  sim- 
plicity of  the  ancients."  Be  it  so.  This  is  God's 
work.  Did  not  he  know  the  distinction  ?  and  did 
he  not  foresee  that  it  would  be  loiown  in  future  days, 
if  it  never  was  by  the  Israelites  ?  Let  it  be  remem- 
bered, that  this  portion  of  the  Mosaic  laws  was 
written  by  God  himself,  and  has  always  been  dis- 
tinguished from  the  ritual  part,  by  the  Jews  them- 
selves, by  Christ,  and  by  Paul.  And  it  ever  will 
be  distinguished  while  the  record  of  it  remains,  and 
the  recognition  of  its  peculiarity  by  the  Lord  of  the 
Sabbath  himself,  and  by  his  chief  apostle.  Per- 
petual obligation,  then,  seems,  as  it  were,  written  on 
the  Sabbath,  by  the  finger  of  Deity  himself. 

7.  I  here  might  advert  to  passages  of  the  New 
Testament  which  recognize  the  existence  of  a  Sab- 
bath, after  the  abrogation  of  the  ritual  or  Levitical 
law,  subsequently  to  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and 
the  introduction  of  the  gospel  state.  But  I  shall 
omit  these,  and  proceed,  finally,  to  observe  that  thero 


92  PERPETUAL    OBLIGATION 

is  in  the  New  Testament,  no  repeal  of  the  law 
instituting  the  Sabbath.  As  already  remarked,  the 
abrogation  of  the  ceremonial  law,  which  hath 
"  waxed  old  and  vanished  away,"  cannot  affect  this, 
unless  it  could  be  clearly  shown  to  be  a  part  of  it ; 
which  it  cannot.  And  if,  as  has  been  proved,  it  is 
moral  in  its  nature,  we  should  never  look  for  a 
repeal,  for  it  must  then  be  universally  obligatory, 
while  man  continues  in  being  on  earth. 

However,  as  some  who  consider  it  in  the  light  of 
a  positive  institute,  think  they  find  its  repeal  or 
abrogation  in  some  expressions  of  the  apostle  Paul, 
it  behooves  us  to  examine  them. 

The  first  I  shall  notice,  you  will  find  in  Colos- 
sians  2:16,17.  "  Let  no  man  therefore  judge  you 
in  meat,  or  in  drink,  or  in  respect  of  a  holy-day,  (or 
feast-day,)  or  of  the  new  moon,  or  of  the  Sabbath- 
days,  (or  Sabbaths :)  which  are  a  shadow  of  things 
to  come."  Here,  it  is  contended,  the  Sabbath  is 
abroojated  along  with  the  ceremonial  law.  That  the 
apostle  here  speaks  of  the  ceremonial  statutes,  can- 
not be  doubted,  for  he  calls  them  a  hand-writing  of 
ordinances,  and  alludes  to  Judaizing  teachers  who 
attempted  to  beguile  them  with  enticing  words.  But 
among  these  ordinances  there  were  several  Sabbaths 
exclusively  of  the  weekly ;  and  it  would  devolve  on 
those  who  plead  for  its  abrogation,  to  prove  that 
there  is  here  an  allusion  to  the  weekly  Sabbath. 
And  if  this  were  proved,  it  would  only  be  the  abro- 
gation of  the  Jewish  Sabbath,  or  of  the  seventh  day 


OF    THE    SABBATH.  93 

as  a  Sabbath,  and  would  not  at  all  affect  the  exist- 
ence of  the  Lord's-day  or  Christian  Sabbath. 

Galatians  4:10,11.  "Ye  observe  days,  and 
months,  and  tiines,  and  years  :  I  am  afraid  of  you," 
is  another  verse  supposed  to  contain  a  repeal.  No 
one  could  intelligently  interpret  this  passage  as  in- 
cluding under  the  term  "  days  or  times,"  the  weekly 
Sabbath.  The  apostle  writes  to  Gentile  converts, 
who  had  been  seduced  from  the  simplicity  of  Christ, 
by  those  who  plead  for  an  observance  of  the  cere- 
monial rites  and  appointments,  in  connexion  with 
the  institutions  of  the  gospel,  and  says,  he  is  afraid 
of  them,  because  they  were  returning  to  the  weak 
and  beggarly  elements.  Nothing,  therefore,  can  be 
deduced  from  this  verse,  until  it  is  shown  that  the 
Sabbath,  instituted  before  the  law,  and  then  again 
written  in  the  Decalogue,  is  a  part  of  the  weak  and 
beggarly  elements  which  bring  into  bondage,  and 
that  the  apostle  feared  their  observance  of  the  Lord's 
day. 

The  only  remaining  passage  on  which  any  stress 
is  laid,  as  containing  a  release  from  the  obligation 
f  the  Sabbath,  under  the  gospel,  is  found  in  Romans 
14:5.  "  One  man  esteemeth  one  day  above  an- 
other :  another  esteemeth  every  day  alike.  Let 
every  man  be  fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind." 
It  seems  that  a  difference  of  opinion  existed  among 
the  members  of  the  church  of  Rome,  in  reference  to 
the  obligation  of  observing  certain  days  as  holy 
festivals.     Part  of  the  church    were   christianized 


94  PERPETUAL    OBLIGATIOIV 

Jews,  part  Gentiles.  The  former,  strongly  attached 
to  the  ceremonial  institutions  of  the  law,  considered 
themselves  still  obliged  to  attend  to  these  religious 
days,  and  to  abstain  from  certain  meats  which  by 
the  law  were  pronounced  unclean  ;  while  the  latter, 
persuaded  of  their  Christian  liberty,  felt  themselves 
perfectly  free  to  make  no  such  distinction  of  days 
or  of  meats.  That  the  apostle  here  writes  in  refer- 
ence to  a  conscientious  difference  of  opinion  and 
practice,  in  regard  to  the  observance  of  the  ritual 
meats  and  days,  which  originated  in  the  commin- 
gling of  Jews  and  Gentiles  in  one  body,  is  universal- 
ly acknowledged.  But  what  we  have  remarked  in 
reference  to  the  Sabbath,  as  belonging  to  the  moral 
law,  and  instituted  prior  to  the  gwing  of  the  cere- 
monial, and  therefore  unaffected  either  by  its  insti- 
tution or  abrogation,  removes  it  entirely  from  all 
controversy  founded  on  this  passage.  Before  there 
is  even  any  room  for  argument  from  this  verse,  it 
must  be  proved  that  the  Sabbath  was  a  ceremonial 
institution. 

Although,  at  first  sight,  this  language  might  seem 
to  do  away  all  distinction  of  days,  a  little  observa- 
tion will  convince  you  that  it  only  speaks  of  cere- 
monial distinctions.  For,  in  verses  2d  and  3d,  you 
find  it  asserted  absolutely,  that  one  believed  he  might 
eat  all  things :  another  ate  only  herbs,  but  he  that 
eateth  must  not  despise  him  that  eateth  not.  Now, 
it  is  clear,  that  none  of  them  supposed  they  might 
eat  all  things  absolutely  considered,  but  without  re- 


OF   THE    SABBATH.  9S 

fetente  to  any  ceremonial  distinctions  of  cleaia  and 
unclean  animals.  Nor  were  there  any  who  did  not 
eat  at  all ;  but  the  phrase  "  him  that  eateth  not,"  is 
necessarily  interpreted  of  his  not  eating  the  cere- 
monially unclean  animals,  or  of  his  abstinence  from 
all  flesh,  lest  he  might  be  defiled.  So  also  of  the 
days,  the  difference  of  opinion  was  about  ceremonitl 
days,  as  of  ceremonial  meats. 

There  is  no  repeal,  therefore,  of  the  law  of  the 
Sabbath,  in  the  New  Testament.  And  even  if  it 
stood  on  the  footing  of  a  positive  precept  or  institu- 
tion, and  not  of  a  moral  law,  it  would  be  necessary 
to  show  its  repeal  before  we  dare  dispense  with  il. 
For  positive  law  from  God  is  equally  binding  with 
moral,  since  God  always  acts  and  commands  right- 
ly, and  for  the  best  reasons.  But  instead  of  repeal- 
ing, the  Saviour  has  established  it.  He  not  only 
observed  the  Sabbath  strictly,  but  in  an  exposition 
of  the  moral  law,  of  which  it  is  a  part,  he  declared 
that  he  came  not  to  destroy  it,  nor  should  one  jot  or 
tittle  of  it  fail. 

Let  us  mortals,  then,  beware  how  we  touch  an 
mstitution  of  God,  established  immediately  on  the 
close  of  creation,  renewedly  enforced  amid  the 
thunders  of  Sinai,  sanctioned  by  the  example  of 
Christ,  and  neither  repealed  explicitly,  inferentially, 
or  by  its  own  limitation ;  for  limit  it  has  none. 

And  let  us,  also,  be  cautious  how  we  strip  it  of  its 
spirituality  by  a  mere  Pharasaic  observance  of  it, 
and  how  we  rob  it  of  its  peculiarity  as  a  holy  day. 


96  CHANGE    OF    DAY. 

by  a  mistaken  idea  of  our  superior  perfection,  in 
freedom  from  all  external  bonds ;  or  of  its  external 
service,  as  unsuited  to  the  liberty  and  spirit  of  the 
new  dispensation.  Let  us  recognize  and  feel  our 
individual  obligation,  repent  of  past  transgression, 
and  henceforth  "  remember  the  Sabbath  to  keep  it 
holy." 


CHAPTER  III. 

CHANGE  OF  DAY. 

It  has  already  been  proved  that  the  date  of  the 
institution  of  the  Sabbath,  is  rightly  fixed  at  the 
close  of  the  six  days'  creation ;  and  in  the  last  dis- 
course, that  it  is  of  perpetual  and  universal  obliga- 
tion, laying  its  claims  unyieldingly  on  man  wherever 
lie  exists,  and  under  whatever  circumstances  and 
relations. 

This  was  established  by  the  following  arguments 
the  date  of  the  institution,  removing  from  it  local 
reference,  and  partial  obligation — the  perpetual  ap- 
plication of  the  reason  annexed  to  it,  and  the  uni- 
versality of  the  end  proposed  by  it — the  declaration 
of  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath,  that  "  it  was  made  for 
man" — prophecies  which  recognize  its  existence 
under  the  gospel,  and,  of  course,  to  the  end  of  time — 
the  moral  nature  of  the  institution — its  place  in  the 
Decalogue,  or  moral  law,  which  is  emphatically  dis- 
tinguished from  all  others — and  the  absence  from 


CHANGE    OF    DAY.  97 

the  scriptures  of  any  repeal  or  abrogation  of  the 
institution. 

The  change  in  the  day  on  which  the  Sabhath  is 
to  be  remembered  and  kept  holy,  or  the  transfer  ot* 
the  sanctif  cation  and  blessing  from  the  seventh  to 
the^rs^  day  of  the  week,  is  the  next  subject  of  con- 
sideration. 

As  a  preliminary  observation,  I  would  remark, 
that  having  estabUshed  the  divine  institution  of  a 
Sabbath,  and  its  present  and  perpetual  obligation, 
those  truths  are  entirely  independent  on  the  present 
inquiry.  Whether  it  be  proved  or  not,  that  the  day 
is  altered,  it  will  be  binding  on  all  to  observe  a 
seventh  part  of  their  time  weekly,  as  a  day  devoted 
to  sacred  purposes.  It  is  agreed,  on  all  hands,  that 
the  seventh  was  the  original  day  of  the  week  ap- 
pointed for  the  Sabbath.  The  first,  is  now  placed 
in  competition  with  it,  as  possessing  higher  claims. 
But  if  any  are  not  satisfied  with  regard  to  a  change, 
the  obligation  still  rests  on  them  with  all  its  weight, 
to  keep  sacred  the  original  day.  It  is  incumbent 
on  every  individual  to  be  fully  persuaded  in  his  own 
mmd,  and  conscientiously  to  set  apart  one  of  the 
days,  as  a  holy  rest  unto  the  Lord.  And  that  man 
is  guilty,  who  takes  occasion  from  the  difference  of 
opinion  among  Christians  on  this  point,  to  quiet  his 
conscience,  and  wrap  himself  up  in  the  lulling  con- 
clusion, that  it  is  a  small  matter  whether  or  not  any 
Sabbath  be  religiously  observed,  whose  whole  object 
in   attempting  to   overthrow   the   obligation  of   a 


98  CHANGE    OF   DAY. 

Christian  Sabbath,  seems  to  be,  not  the  maintenance 
of  a  conscientious  opinion,  but  the  effort  of  hving 
depravity  to  throw  off  the  chains  both  of  Mosaic 
and  Christian  law,  and  be  free  and  unbridled  in  iis 
race  to  ruin. 

A  second  prefatory  observation  worthy  of  remem- 
brance, is  this,  that  the  fourth  commandment,  which 
is  the  great  law  on  this  subject,  seems  clearly  to 
distinguish  between  the  Sabbath  itself,  as  an  insti- 
tution, and  the  day  on  which  it  was  to  be  observed. 
Exodus  20:  8 — 11.  "  Remember  the  Sabbath  day, 
to  keep  it  holy.  Six  days  shalt  thou  labor,  and  do 
all  thy  work  :  but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of 
the  Lord  thy  God :  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work, 
thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  thy  man-servant, 
nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  thy 
stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates  :  for  in  six  days  the 
Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that 
in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day :  wherefore 
the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath  day,  and  hallowed  it." 
Here,  you  will  remarli,  that  the  Sabbath  indefinitely, 
is  hallowed  and  blessed — that  the  Sabbath  is  re- 
quired  to  be  remembered,  on  whatever  day  it  might 
at  any  period  be  appointed.  The  seventh  is  hen 
fixed  as  the  Sabbath  under  the  Jewish  dispensation 
and  must  continue  to  be  the  day  until  there  is  a 
manifest  change,  by  the  same  authority  which 
originally  appointed  it.  You  perceive,  however,  that 
by  attaching  the  blessing  and  sanctification,  not  to 
the  day,  but  to  the  Sabbuli,  or  holy  rest,  (wlncli 


CHANGE    OF    DAY.  99 

undoubtedly  was  designedly  done,)  God  left  the  way 
open  for  a  change  of  the  day,  whenever  good  reasons 
for  it  should  occur. 

From  indefinite  views  and  long  habit  we  are  apt 
lo  imagine  the  special  day  to  be  an  essential  and 
immutable  part  of  the  law,  as  if  it  rested  as  much 
on  our  moral  relations,  as  the  duty  itself  of  holy 
resting  a  seventh  part  of  our  time.  But  it  is  only  a 
circumstance,  mutable  at  the  will  of  the  Divine 
Legislator ;  as  much  so  as  the  place  of  worship. 
Worship  itself,  is  binding  on  every  moral  being,  and 
immutably  binding,  as  resulting  from  his  relations 
to  God.  But  the  place  of  assembling  for  worship, 
may  be  altered  as  circumstances,  in  view  of  the 
Deity,  may  require.  It  may  be  confined  to  Jerusa- 
lem, as  it  respects  the  Jew?,  while  they  are  a  peculiai 
people,  or  it  may  afterwards  be  located  wherever 
two  or  three  shall  meet  together  in  the  name  of 
Christ,  to  present  a  spiritual  offering  to  the  Lord. 

A  third  introductory  remark  seems  necessary, 
that  although  there  be  no  explicit  injunction  of  the 
Christian  Sabbath,  no  annunciation  in  so  many 
words,  that  under  the  gospel  the  first  day  is  to  be 
devoted  to  the  duties  of  the  Sabbath,  if  we  can  dis- 
cover manifest  reasons  for  its  gradual  rather  than 
its  sudden  and  immediate  introduction,  and  exclusive 
obligation  on  all  Christians,  whether  Jews  or  Gen- 
tiles ;  and  further,  can  recognize  its  appointment,  in 
the  authoritative  example  of  the  apostles,  we  may 
be  as  completely  convinced  of  God's  intention  as  if 


100 


CHANGE    OF    DAY. 


he  had  left  the  plain  record  of  it  on  the  pages  of  the 
Bible. 

If  the  institution  itself  were  to  be  abolished,  re- 
membering all  the  distinctive  peculiarities  which 
marked  its  introduction,  we  should  naturally  expect 
some  definite  and  positive  abolition.  But  when 
merely  a  circumstance  of  the  institution,  a  thing 
entirely  adventitious,  is  to  be  altered,  it  may  easily 
be  pointed  out  in  another,  yet  equally  binding  man- 
ner. When  only  the  particular  day  of  weekly 
time,  which  shall  be  devoted  to  the  commemoration 
of  God's  perfections,  and  the  cultivation  of  holy 
dispositions,  and  which  cannot  affect  the  obligatory 
nature  of  the  holy  rest  itself,  is  to  be  changed  from 
the  seventh  to  the  first,  this  can  be  fully  and  clearly 
done,  by  apostolic  practice,  and  the  recognition  ol 
that  practice,  by  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  himself. 

1.  In  proof  of  the  change,  I  remark  in  the  first 
place,  that  if  there  he  a  work  ichich  more  gloriously 
displays  the  divine  perfections,  than  that  of  creation^ 
the  presumption  is,  that  the  day  of  its  completion 
zmll,  thenceforth,  he  the  Sahhath, 

Such  a  work,  then,  is  the  work  of  redemption. 
And  if,  when  God's  plastic  hand  had  fashioned  the 
world,  and  clothed  the  earth  with  fragrance  and 
beauty,  the  morning  stars  sang  together,  and  all  the 
vsons  of  God  shouted  for  joy ;  so,  also,  when  the 
babe  was  born  in  Bethlehem,  who  was  to  be  the 
chief  agent  in  the  work  of  redemption,  did  a  multi- 
tude of  the  heavenly  host  announce  his  birth,  pro- 


CHA5^'GE    OF    DAY.  101 

claiming  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  glory  to  God  in 
the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  to  men. 
And  when  he  ascended  to  heaven,  leading  captivity 
captive,  the  voice  of  ten  thousand  angels  was  heard 
crying,  "  Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates  !  even  lift 
them  up,  ye  everlasting  doors,  and  the  King  of 
glory  shall  come  in  !  And  who  is  this  King  of  glory  ? 
The  Lord  strong  and  mighty,  the  Lord  mighty  in 
battle." — He  that  has  overcome  the  prince  of  dark- 
ness, and  is  now  returning  in  triumph  from  the  most 
glorious  work  ever  achieved,  having  spoiled  princi- 
palities and  powers,  and  made  a  show  of  them 
openly. 

God's  moral  government  of  the  universe  of  intel- 
ligent beings,  is  his  chief  glory.  But  Jesus  Christ, 
and  he  crucified,  or,  Jesus  Christ  in  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  work  of  redemption,  is  the  bright  sun, 
which  throws  light,  and  warmth,  and  beauty,  over 
this  whole  moral  system.  In  this  work,  angels  are 
ministering  spirits ;  and  every  high  archangel,  and 
seraphim,  and  cherubim,  will  sing  a  louder  song, 
and  shout  with  more  transporting  joy,  when  all  its 
grand  purposes  are  fulfilled,  than  when  they  heard  the 
potent  word  of  God  bidding  creation  into  beautiful 
existence.  This  is  the  golden  chain  which  will  for 
ever  bind  in  happy  union  to  one  another,  and  in  higher 
and  holier  adoration  to  God,  all  the  pure  and  im- 
mortal spirits  of  his  great  kingdom.  Oh  !  what  a 
work  is  this  !  Ye  angels !  swell  your  notes,  and 
let  the  universe  hear  of  its  glorv — let  heaven  re-echo 
12 


102  CHANGE    OP    DAY. 

ks  praise.  It  is  the  new  creation,  and  in  compari- 
son with  it,  the  former  shall  be  remembered  no 
more,  nor  come  into  mind.  By  it  is  made  known 
to  the  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly  places, 
the  manifold  wisdom  of  God.  And  while  the  mate- 
rial system  is  continually  wasting  away,  and  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  which  God  brought  into  be- 
ing and  form,  shall  be  rolled  together  as  a  scroll, 
shall  wax  old  like  a  garment,  and  be  changed  as  a 
vesture,  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth  will  be 
growing  in  beauty  and  glory,  be  permanent  as  the 
throne  of  God,  and  to  its  years  there  shall  be  no  end. 
Inasmuch,  then,  as  the  work  of  redemption  is  re- 
cognized in  the  Bible  as  the  chief  work  of  heaven, 
is  represented  as  intended  to  display  to  the  hosts  of 
seraphim  and  cherubim  the  manifold  wisdom  of 
God,  and  containing  in  it  exhibitions  of  the  perfec- 
tions of  Jehovah,  which  awaken  the  earnest  investi- 
gation, and  profound  adoration  of  angels,  who  de- 
sire to  look  into  it ;  and  inasmuch  as  it  is  the  great 
purpose  of  the  Sabbath  that  man  shall  commemo- 
rate the  attributes  of  God  as  unfolded  in  his  works, 
the  strong  presumption  is,  that  now,  since  a  greater 
work  is  accomplished  than  when  God  rested  from 
all  which  he  had  created  and  made,  and  his  perfec- 
tions are  more  gloriously  displayed  in  it,  the  com- 
pletion of  this  work  will  be  the  object  of  commemo- 
ration, and  the  day  on  which  Christ  entered  into  his 
rest,  having  ceased  from  his  work  as  God  did  from 
hLs  own,  will  be  the  day  on  which  the  righteous  will 


CHANGE    OF    DAY.  103 

enter  into  the  courts  of  the  Lord's  house ;  and  in 
private  also  feel  that  tliis  is  the  day  which  the  Lord 
hath  made  and  set  apart  for  the  duties  of  devotion. 
That  day  was  the  first  day  of  the  week,  when  the 
Redeemer  burst  the  bars  of  death  and  arose  tri- 
umphant over  the  grave.  In  accordance  with  these 
ideas  is  the  prophetical  declaration  in  Isa.  65:17,18, 
Behold  I  create  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth  :  and 
the  former  shall  not  be  remembered  nor  come  into 
mind.  But  be  ye  glad  and  rejoice  for  ever  in  that 
which  I  create  :  for  behold  I  create  Jerusalem  a  re- 
joicing, and  her  people  a  joy.  An  inspection  of  the 
passage  will  convince  you  that  the  prophet  speaks 
of  the  times  of  the  gospel.  The  new  creation  here 
mentioned,  as  the  verses  interpret  themselves,  is  the 
church,  denominated  Jerusalem,  and  made  joyful 
and  glorious  by  the  death  and  resurrection  of  her 
Lord.  This  new  creation,  you  remark  also,  so  far 
surpasses  the  former  in  glory,  that  it  shall  not  be 
remembered,  nor  come  into  mind.  All  this  seems 
to  intimate  that  the  exhibitions  which  were  made  of 
the  perfections  of  God  in  the  first  creation,  should 
dwindle  into  comparative  nothingness  before  the 
brighter  displays  of  the  second — that  the  former 
was  the  mere  shell,  to  be  thrown  away,  when  the 
pearl  of  great  price  inclosed  in  it  should  be  discov- 
ered. And  indeed  the  apostle,  in  his  Epistle  to  the 
Ephes.  3:9,10,  leads  us  to  believe  that  the  original 
creation  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth  was  only  a 
preparatory  measure  for  the  accomplishment  of  a 


104  CHANGE    OF    DAY. 

higher  and  nohler  work :  the  moral  renovation  am\ 
confirmation  in  holiness  of  a  multitude  of  intelligent 
creatures.  He  writes,  God  hath  created  all  things 
by  Jesus  Christ,  to  the  intent,  that  now  unto  princi- 
palities, and  powers,  in  heavenly  places,  might  be 
known  by  the  church  his  manifold  wisdom.  The 
intention  of  God's  creation  of  all  things  seems  to 
have  been  the  exhibition  of  his  glory  to  the  hosts 
of  heaven,  by  means  of  his  manifold  wisdom,  dis- 
coverable in  the  redemption  of  the  church.  The 
latter  is  the  magnificent  temple ;  the  fornjer  the  scaf- 
folding employed  in  its  erection.  The  one,  the  oater 
court  of  tlie  Gentiles ;  the  other,  the  holy  of  holies. 

It  is  presumable,  therefore,  that  the  wisdom  of 
God  would  determine  that  the  latter,  after  its  ac- 
complishment, should  be  commemorated  in  prefer- 
ence to  the  former,  and  by  its  brighter  glories,  so 
attract  the  attention  of  intelligent  beings,  as  to  throw 
a  shade  over  the  former,  and  occasion  a  compara- 
tive forgetfulness  of  it.  And  if  this  new  creation, 
in  the  language  of  the  prophet,  is  to  be  the  subject 
of  rejoicing  and  commemoration  rather  than  the 
other,  it  is  further  presumable  that  the  day  of  its 
completion,  from  that  time  forth  w(»uld  be  the  day 
of  holy  rest,  and  sacred  remembrance  of  the  works 
of  Jehovah  our  God. 

The  prophecy,  moreover,  has  never  been  fulfilled, 
except  in  the  ^rst  day  commemorations  of  the 
Christian  Sabbath :  and  in  these  it  has  been  remark- 
ably and  precisely  accomplished.    For  who  does  not 


CHANGE    OF    DAY.  105 

know  that  while  in  the  prayers  and  praises  of  the 
church  on  this  day,  and  in  the  preaching  of  God's 
ministers,  the  old  creation  is  occasionally  the  theme, 
it  is  the  new  which  constitutes  the  burden  of  their 
song,  and  the  essence  of  their  proclamation  ?  We 
may  therefore  fairly  infer  that  this  day's  devotions 
are  the  institution  and  appointment  of  God,  and  the 
fulfilment  of  this  prophecy. 

But  while  it  brings  to  mind  the  sweetest  recollec 
tions  that  can  swell  the  bosom  of  the  Christian,  o 
animate  the  praises  of  heaven,  it  does  not  entirely 
shut  out  from  his  thoughts,  or  supersede  the  re- 
membrance of  the  original  work,  which  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  Sabbath.  It  still  returns  every 
seventh  day,  and  reminds  him  that  in  six  days  God 
made  heaven  and  earth,  and  then  rested  from  ail  his 
work  which  he  had  created  and  made. 

Seeing,  then,  the  consummation  of  the  work  of 
creation  is  given  as  the  reason  for  the  institution  of 
the  Sabbath  on  the  seventh  day,  and  there  has  since 
been  exhibited  to  the  "  morning  stars "  of  heaven 
and  the  sons  of  men  on  earth,  the  completion  of  a 
far  more  glorious  work  on  the  morning  of  the  firsts 
the  presumption  is,  that  the  da)^  of  commemoration 
has  been  transferred  from  the  seventh  to  the  first : 
especially  as  the  original  object  of  commemoration 
is  still  preserved,  while  by  the  change  of  day,  a 
greater  and  more  sublime  object  is  introduced. 

2.  I  infer  the  transfer  of  the  Sabbath  from  the 
seventh  to  the  first  day  of  the  week,  from  the  fa:l, 


106  CHANGE    OF    DAY. 

that  there  is  intimation  of  such  a  change  in  the  Old 
Testa?nent.  It  certainly  will  be  strong  presumptive 
proof  of  the  change,  if  under  the  very  dispensation 
in  which  the  holy  rest  was  on  the  seventh,  there  be 
manifest  indications  of  the  appointment  of  another 
day.  Such  indications  there  are.  Examine  again 
Psalms  118:14,29.  The  Psalmist  there  represents 
the  righteous,  or  the  church,  as  rejoicing  with  glad- 
ness in  their  tabernacles,  and  opening  the  gates  of 
righteousness  that  they  might  enter  therein  and 
praise  the  Lord.  Hs  adverts  also  to  the  ground  of 
their  rejoicing,  the  occasion  of  their  praise,  the 
mighty  triumph  of  "  him  that  cometh  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord,"  to  become  salvation  to  the  righteous. 
He  further  specifies  a  particular  day  on  which  the 
church  rejoiced,  and  was  exceeding  glad,  the  day 
which  the  Lord  hath  made,  and  intimates  that  the 
appointment  of  this  special  day  of  praise  originated 
in  the  fact,  that  the  stone  which  the  builders  refused 
was  become  the  head  stone  of  the  corner.  This 
passage,  by  the  authority  of  inspiration,  is  deter- 
mined to  have  reference  to  the  coming  of  Christ, 
and  the  establishment  of  the  gospel  dispensation. 
The  phrase,  "  Blessed  be  he  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,"  is  universally  interpreted  by  the 
Jews  in  reference  to  the  Messiah,  and  on  the  occa- 
sion of  his  entry  into  Jerusalem,  you  remember,  the 
multitude  applied  it  to  Jesus  Christ.  The  "stone 
which  the  builders  refused  "  is  emphatically  descrip- 
tive of  the  rt^'ection  of  Christ,  is  by  the  Apostles 


CHANGE    OF    DAY.  107 

attributed  to  him,  and  like  the  former  phrase,  under 
the  old  dispensation,  has  become  synonymous  with 
Jesus  Christ. 

And  when  did  Jesus  become  the  head  stone  of  the 
corner  ?  When  did  he  become  the  salvation  of  the 
righteous?  Was  it  not  when  he  triumphed  over 
every  enemy,  death,  hell  and  the  grave ;  when  he 
was  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with  power  by 
the  resurrection  from  the  dead,  when  for  his  humil- 
iation unto  death,  he  was  exalted  and  constituted 
head  over  all  things  to  the  church,  and  had  given  to 
him  a  name  above  every  name  ?  Was  it  not  on  that 
bright  morning  when  the  grave  surrendered  its  noble 
victim,  and  the  darkness  which  had  long  hung  over 
it  was  for  ever  dissipated,  when  the  Son  of  God, 
strong  with  the  power  of  Jehovah,  burst  asunder  the 
fctters  of  the  tomb,  and  stood  forth  the  mighty 
conqueror,  resplendent  with  the  brightness  of  the 
Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person  ? 
On  that  morning,  then,  says  the  Psalmist,  the  voice 
of  rejoicing  and  salvation  will  be  in  the  tabernacles 
of  the  righteous.  That  is  the  day  which  the  Lord 
hath  made  :  they  will  rejoice  and  be  glad  in  it.  Yea, 
they  will  open  the  gates  of  the  sanctuary,  they  will 
enter  therein  and  praise  the  Lord,  because  his  right 
hand  hath  done  valiantly.  The  day  of  Christ's 
resurrection,  then,  or  the  first  day  of  the  week,  seems 
to  have  been  pointed  out  as  the  Sabbath,  or  season 
of  social  worship  under  the  gospel,  even  by  the  pro- 


108  CHANGE    OF    DAY. 

phets  of  the  former  dispensation  which  is  now  waxed 
old  and  vanished  away. 

3.  The  change  in  the  day  of  the  Sabbath,  may 
be  prov>ed  from  an  expression  in  Rev.  1:  10.  "I 
was  in  the  spirit  on  the  "  Lord^s-day.^^  The  visions 
of  John,  recorded  in  this  book,  are  generally  sup- 
posed to  have  been  about  the  close  of  the  first 
century,  in  the  96th  year  of  our  Lord,  or  63  after 
his  death.  It  is  plain  therefore  from  John's  use  of 
the  phrase,  that  not  only  he,  but  the  churches  to 
which  he  wrote,  were  at  this  time  familiar  with  a 
certain  day  denominated  the  Lord's.  That  this  was 
the  first  day  of  the  week  is  universally  admitted  : 
for  there  is  no  apparent  reason  for  such  a  distinction 
of  any  day  but  the  first.  This  might  naturally  be 
so  distinguished  from  the  Lord's  resurrection  on  that 
day.  But  where  lies  the  force  or  propriety  of  the 
appellation  ?  Is  it  not  in  the  fact  that  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  claimed  a  peculiar  property  in  it,  that  he 
had  set  it  apart  for  himself  as  Lord  of  the  Sabbath, 
o  be  spent  in  commemoration  of  his  magnificent 
work  ?  What  is  understood  by  the  Lord's  Supper  ? 
Is  it  not  that  he  has  consecrated  it  as  a  memorial  of 
his  death,  has  sanctified  it,  or  set  it  apart  from  a 
common  to  a  sacred  purpose?  Then  the  Lord's-day 
is  so,  because  he  hath  consecrated  it  to  be  a  memo- 
rial of  his  resting  from  his  new  creation,  of  his 
accomplishment  of  a  work,  which  more  than  any 
other  will  to  all  eternity  magnify  the  perfections  of 
Jehovah. 


CHANGE    OF    DAY.  109 

On  this  day,  as  the  ancient  Fathers  of  the  first 
and  second  centuries  testify,*  the  Christian  church 
kept  their  Sabbath,  and  attended  to  those  private 
meditations,  and  public  observances  which  belonged 
to  it  as  a  holy  rest.  And  although  the  apostles 
themselves,  as  well  as  the  primitive  Christians  went 
often  into  the  Synagogue  on  the  Seventh  day  oi 
Jewish  Sabbath,  they  did  it  not  because  they  felt  the 
obligation  of  keeping  that  day,  but  in  accommoda- 
tion to  the  Jews,  that  by  becoming  all  things  to  all 
men,  they  might  be  won  over  to  the  Christian  reli- 
gion, and  be  saved.  But  on  the  fii-st  they  assembled 
together,  as  on  a  day  which  they  recognized  as  sei 
apart  by  their  Lord  for  the  religious  duties  of  the 
Sabbath.  What  is  especially  to  be  noted  on  this 
passage  is,  that  the  apostle  under  the  inspiration  of 
God,  authorizes  the  distinction  of  this  day  as  the 
Lord's,  and  in  so  doing  sanctions  the  religious  com- 
memoration of  it  as  the  Sabbath,  which  was  the 
practice  of  his  time. 

4.  We  have  not  only  the  implied  declamtion  of 
John  on  this  point,  but  in  proof  of  the  change,  wc- 

*  Ignatius,  a  companion  of  the  apostles,  says,  "  Let  its  no  more 
Sabbatize,  (t.  e.  keep  the  Jewish  Sabbath,)  but  keep  tlie  Lord's^ 
day,  on  which  our  Life  arose." — Justin  Martyr,  who  lived  in  the 
close  of  the  first  century :  "  On  the  day  called  Sunday  is  ai» 
assembly  of  all  who  live  in  the  city  or  country;  when  the  memoirs 
of  the  apostles,  and  writings  of  the  prophets,  are  read." — ^Irenaeus 
disciple  of  Poiycarp,  who  studied  with  John  the  Evangelist  : 
"On  the  Lords-day  e\eTy  one  of  us  Christians  keeps  the  Sab- 
batli,  meditating  on  the  law,  and  rejoicing  in  the  vorks  of  God '' 

K 


110  CHANGE    OF    DAT. 

have  the  example  of  the  apostles  for  the  sacred 
observance  of  tke  first  day. 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  of  his  resurrection  the 
disciples  were  together  in  one  place,  when  the  Lord 
himself  appeared  in  their  midst,  and  pronounced 
apon  them  his  peaceful  benediction.  This  itself 
might  prove  nothing.  But  farther  on  in  the  chapter, 
(John  20;  26.)  you  find  that  after  eight  days,  or  on 
the  return  of  the  same  day,  according  to  the  Jewish 
mode  of  reckoning,  they  were  togetlier  again,  and 
a  second  time  also  visited  and  blessed  by  the  Lord. 
This  has  the  appearance  of  an  intentional  assembling 
on  the  first  day  of  the  week.  On  Pentecost,  also, 
which  at  that  time  occurred  on  the  first  day,  the 
disciples  were  all  with  one  accord  in  one  place. 

The  Apostle  Paul  was  at  none  of  these  meetings, 
for  he  was  not  as  yet  converted.  But  you  learn 
from  the  Acts  and  from  Corinthians,  that  the 
churches  planted  by  this  apostle  also  observed  the 
first,  and  not  the  seventh  day  of  the  week,  as  the 
Sabbath.  When  Paul  came  to  Troas  he  tarried 
there  seven  days,  and  upon  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
ivhen  the  disciples  came  together  to  break  bread,  he 
preached  unto  them.  This  is  related  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  leave  the  impression,  that  the  custom 
of  the  church  was  to  meet  on  that  day  for  religious 
ordinances.  In  writing  to  the  Corinthians,  the 
apostle  directs  them,  as  he  says  he  h?A  done  the 
Galatians,  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  to  lay  by 
ihem,  as  the  Lord  had  prospered,  something  for  the 


CHANGE    OF    DAY.  HI 

poor  persecuted  Christians  at  Jerusalem.  There  is 
no  apparent  reason  why  the  first  day  should  be 
selected  for  this  contribution,  if  it  were  not  the 
known  and  acknowledged  custom  of  the  churches 
to  distinguish  that  day  from  all  others,  by  some 
peculiar  observances. 

From  all  these  recorded  facts,  then,  it  appears 
that  both  Jewish  and  Gentile  converts  kept  the  Sab- 
bath on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  under  the  au- 
thority, and  in  accordance  with  the  example  of  the 
apostles :  and  that  Paul,  who  received  his  revelations 
of  truth  and  institutions  immediately  from  the  Lord, 
consecrated  the  same  day  with  the  other  apostles, 
although  he  had  no  intercourse  with  them  for  three 
years  after  his  conversion ;  and  then  they  added 
nothing  to  him,  or  communicated  no  truths  which 
he  had  not  previously  known  from  Christ  himself. 
This  agreement  of  apostles  who  had  not  consulted 
together  on  the  subject,  strongly  indicates  the  will 
of  their  common  Master.  Nor  can  we  suppose 
them  without  authority  from  on  high,  to  have  pre- 
sumed to  transfer  the  Sabbath  from  a  day  on  which 
God  had  fixed  it,  and  by  their  example,  inculcate  on 
the  churches  through  all  ages,  the  sanctification  of 
a  different  day.  This  indisputable  practice  of  the 
apostles  carries  along  with  it  all  the  force  of  law, 
and  announces  in  intelligible  language  that  the  day 
is  changed. 

5.  The  only  remaining  argument  I  shall  adduce 
in  proof  of  this  point,  is  the  transfer  of  the  blessing 


112  CHANGE    OF    DAY. 

from  the  seventh  to  i\iQ  first  day  of  the  week,  or  the 
Christian  Sabbath.  God  not  only  sanctified,  or  set 
apart  the  holy  rest  of  the  Sabbath,  but  he  also  bless- 
ed it,  or  made  it  a  source  of  blessings  to  those  who 
observed  it.  Now,  if  the  observance  of  the  first 
day  as  a  Sabbath,  has  been  marked  by  the  peculiar 
bestowment  of  mercies  on  the  church ;  it  will  be  a 
striking  evidence  that  the  change  which  is  apparent 
since  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  has  been  introduced 
by  the  will  of  their  Master.  Otherwise  God  would 
be  setting  his  seal  to  a  human  institution  w^hich  has 
had  the  effect  of  abolishing  his  own. 

And  what  is  the  fact  ?  Which  day  of  the  seven 
has  been  most  blessed  ?  Was  it  not  on  the  first  that 
the  risen  Redeemer  twice  appeared  in  the  midst  of 
his  waiting  disciples,  and  spoke  a  word,  which  from 
his  lips  meant  more  than  heart  can  conceive.  Was 
it  not  on  this  same  day,  while  the  disciples  were  all 
together  with  one  accord,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
poured  out  from  on  high,  to  enlighten  their  minds 
in  gospel  views,  and  qualify  them  for  extensive  use- 
fulness in  building  up  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  ?  Was 
it  not  on  this  blessed  day,  that  under  the  preaching 
of  Peter,  three  thousand  souls  were  brought  from 
darkness  into  light,  introduced  into  the  glorious  liber- 
ty of  the  Sons  of  God,  and  made  glad  with  antici- 
pations of  eternal  bliss  ? 

And  what  day,  ever  since,  has  been  marked  with 
the  particular  favor  of  heaven,  and  pointed  out  as 
the  day  on  which  he  will  meet  with  his  people  to 


CHANGE    OF    DAY.  113 

bless  them  ?  Is  it  not  that  on  which  Zioii  assembles ; 
that  on  which  the  gates  of  righteousness  are  opened, 
that  the  Lord's  people  may  rejoice  and  be  glad  in  it  ? 
Oh  !  how  has  the  heart  of  the  Chiistian  often  been 
elevated  to  songs  of  praise  while  he  sat  under  the 
droppings  of  the  sanctuary,  and  could  say  with  the 
Psahnist,  "  One  day  in  the  courts  of  the  Lord  is 
better  than  a  thousand."     And  with  the  Poet, 

"  My  willing  soul  could  stay- 
in  such  a  frame  as  this. 
And  sit  and  sing  herself  away 
To  everlasting  bliss." 

How  frequently  has  his  soul  longed,  yea,  even 
fainted  for  the  courts  of  the  Lord  !  and  when  the  Sab- 
bath came,  often  has  he  feasted  on  the  word,  and 
had  an  antepast  of  that  endless  Sabbath,  where  are 

"  No  groans  to  mingle  with  the  songs 
Which  warble  from  immortal  tongues, 
No  rude  alarms  of  raging  foes, 
No  cares  to  break  the  long  repose, 
No  midnight  shade,  no  clouded  sun, 
But  sacred,  high,  eternal  noon." 

And  while  attuning  his  heart  to  the  praises  of  his 
Redeemer,  he  has  almost  thought  himself  seizing  a 
golden  harp  in  heaven,  and  joining  with  the  chorus 
of  the  skies  in  their  "  Alleluia,  the  Lord  God  Omni- 
potent reigneth.  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and 
give  honor  to  him :  for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb 
is  come,  and  his  wife  hath  made  herself  ready." 
K2 


114  CHANGE    OF    DAY. 

And  on  this  same  day  how  many  thousands  have 
been  born  of  the  Spirit,  and  first  found  the  name  of 
Jesus  precious ;  how  many  who  are  now  in  the  sanc- 
tuary above ;  and  how  many  more  who  shall  finally 
swell  the  triumphs  of  heaven,  wear  the  laurels  of 
victory,  the  robes  of  righteousness,  and  be  everlast- 
ingly blessed  with  the  visions  of  God  !  On  this  holy 
day  how  often  has  there  been  joy  in  heaven  over 
the  repentance  of  returning  prodigals  who  had  long 
been  absent  from  their  father's  house ;  how  many 
have  commenced  a  pilgrimage  to  the  holy  land 
above,  and  begun  a  song  which  angels  delight  to 
learn,  and  in  which  they  will  commingle  with  re- 
deemed spirits  through  all  eternity — "Worthy  is 
the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power,  and 
riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and 
glory,  and  blessing." 

Since,  then,  on  this  day  God  hath  granted  the 
blessing  armexed  to  the  Sabbath,  we  may  conclude 
that  it  is  the  day  also  which  he  hath  sanctified  or 
set  apart  to  be  the  holy  rest  under  the  gospel  dispen- 
sation. 

On  a  review  of  the  whole,  we  are  led  to  a  full 
persuasion  that  the  ^rst  is  now  the  day  on  which 
the  Sabbath  is  to  be  remembered  and  kept  holy,  and 
that  the  change  has  taken  place  in  conformity  with 
the  Divine  pleasure. 

If  any  are  not  convinced  by  the  argument,  let 
such  conscientiously  observe  the  seventh  day,  and 
not  shuffle  off  all  moral  obligation  in  regard  to  a 


UTILITY    OF    THE    SABBATH.  115 

Sabbath,  because  some  pious  persons  do  not  see  as 
we  do.  If  they  differ  from  us,  they  do  it  conscien- 
tiously, and  maintain  the  observance  of  the  seventh 
day.  Let  others  who  quarrel  with  us  on  the  point 
of  the  sanctification  of  the  first  day,  go  and  do  like 
wise.  Let  them  not  destroy  God's  law  and  author- 
ity, and  trample  it  under  their  feet,  because  all  good 
people  do  not  unite  in  sentiment  on  this  subject,  but 
let  them  rather  take  their  Bibles  and  determine  foj 
themselves,  which  is  the  day,  and  observe  it. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  UTILITY  OF  THE  SABBATH. 

In  conformity  with  the  original  plan,  your  atten- 
tion has  been  directed  to  the  divine  institution,  and 
the  date  of  the  Sabbath,  its  perpetual  obligation,  and 
the  change  of  the  day.  On  the  last  topic,  in  proof 
of  the  change,  it  was  remarked  that  the  superior 
glory  of  the  \\  ork  of  redemption,  rendering  it  highly 
probable  that  the  perfections  of  God  therein  display- 
ed, would  lay  the  foundation  for  their  future  com- 
memoration, and  constitute  a  reason  for  appointing 
the  day  of  its  completion  the  Sabbath — the  intima- 
tions of  a  change  in  the  writings  of  the  Prophets 
under  the  old  dispensation  itself — the  application  by 
John,  of  the  expression,  "  the  Lord's-day,"  to  the 
first  day  of  the  week — the  uniform  example  of  the 


116  UTILITY    OF 

apostles,  which,  in  itself,  is  abundantly  sufficient  to 
establish  it — and,  finally,  the  transfer  of  the  blessing 
from  the  seventh  to  the  first  day — all  combined  tc 
confirm  us  in  the  full  persuasion,  that  this  is  now 
the  day  on  which  God  designs  the  holy  rest  unto 
himself  to  be  remembered  and  kept  holy.  And  now 
he  speaks  to  us,  saying.  Remember  the  Sabbath 
day,  to  keep  it  holy :  the  first  day  is  the  Sabbath  of 
the  Lord  thy  God.  Six  days  shalt  thou  labor,  and 
do  all  thy  work,  but  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work . 
thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  nor  thy  man- 
servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cattle,  noi 
the  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates:  for  on  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  did  the  Lord  enter  into  his 
rest,  having  ceased  from  the  work  of  redemption  : 
wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath  day  and 
hallowed  it. 

The  next  general  division  of  the  subject  now 
claiming  attention,  is  the  utility  of  the  Sabbath. 
This  is  declared  in  the  text.  "  The  Sabbath  was 
made  for  man" — for  man  universally,  as  has  been 
shown ;  man  in  all  circumstances  and  relations ;  in 
his  private  and  his  public  character,  individually 
and  associatedly.  And  for  the  benefit  of  man  also. 
It  was  set  apart  as  a  holy  rest  in  accommodation  to 
the  constitution  and  nature  of  man,  both  corporeal 
and  mental — as  an  animal,  and  as  an  immortal  and 
accountable  agent.  All  days  belong  to  man  as 
talents  which  he  is  to  employ  for  his  Master ;  but 
while  six  are  given  him  that  he  may  devote  requisite 


THE    SABBATH.  117 

time  to  secular  pursuits,  this  is  set  apart  for  his  spe- 
cial benefit — for  rehef  of  body  and  mind,  and  the 
cultivation  of  holiness. 

The  utility  of  the  Sabbath  is  manifest, 
1.  In  the  respite  from  Za/;or  which  it  affords  both 
to  TTian  and  beast.  God,  who  made  all  things,  best 
knows  the  precise  nature  of  each,  and  has  admirably- 
displayed  his  wisdom  in  the  adaptation  of  means  to 
the  end,  and  his  kindness  to  all  in  evincing  that  his 
lender  mercies  are  over  all  the  works  of  his  hands. 
He  who  gave  to  the  laboring  animals  their  powers 
and  placed  them  in  the  circumstances  in  which  they 
are,  as  the  property  of  man,  knew  well  how  much 
labor  they  could  healthfully  and  vigorously  endure, 
and  therefore  early  ordained  for  their  relief,  a  cessa- 
tion from  work,  one  day  in  seven.  And  he  that 
can  lay  claim  to  the  character  of  a  righteous  man, 
will  regard  the  life  of  his  beast ;  and  in  so  doing,  if 
they  have  been  employed  the  rest  of  the  week,  will 
grant  them  the  respite  on  the  Sabbath  which  their 
Creator  allowed  them. 

It  is  found  by  experiment,  that  the  life  of  working 
beasts  is  shortened,  and  their  strength  diminished  by 
a  continued  course  of  labor.  They  actually  require, 
in  order  to  the  maintenance  of  health  and  vigor, 
that  the  Sabbath  should  be  a  day  of  rest,  on  which 
they  shall  not  be  obliged  to  do  any  work.  And  its 
utility  in  this  respect  would  be  more  apparent,  if 
men  more  generally,  were  possessed  of  the  tender 


118  UTILITY    OF 

mercies  of  our  heavenly  Father,  who  is  good  and 
kind  to  all. 

The  same  weekly  relaxation  from  toil  is  required 
to  sustain  the  animal  powers  of  man,  whether  they 
have  been  exhausted  by  manual  labor,  or  have  been 
drained  of  their  sap  by  the  absorbing  influence  of 
mental  effort. 

Man  is  an  active  being,  endued  with  powers  which 
qualify  him  for  employment,  and  point  it  out  as  his 
duty.  And  that  individual  who  wastes  his  life  in 
idleness  has  forgotten  one  end  of  his  being,  and 
robs  himself  of  half  the  joy  of  life.  But  on  the 
other  hand,  our  native  activity  must  be  bounded  by 
the  limits  which  our  Maker  has  fixed.  If  we  pass 
them,  we  dispute  his  wisdom,  contemn  his  benevo- 
lence, and  pretend  to  a  better  acquaintance  with  the 
capabiHties  of  our  frame,  than  his  who  fashioned  us 
in  the  womb,  and  instituted,  in  accordance  with  our 
nature,  the  weekly  respite  of  the  Sabbath.  Every 
prudent,  industrious  laboring  man  knows  that  the 
work  of  six  days  is  sufficiently  exhausting  to 
demand  the  rest  of  the  seventh,  and  that  to  continue 
from  day  to  day  without  a  weekly  cessation,  would 
very  soon  impair  his  strength,  and  waste  his  life. 
Or  if  he  does  not  know  it,  an  experiment  would 
very  soon  convince  him  that  the  Infinite  Mind  who 
ordained  the  Sabbath,  has  far  more  wisdom  than  he. 
The  experiment  has  been  made,  and  resulted  as  we 
might  have  anticipated,  considering  the  character  of 
God  who  made  both  man  and  the  Sabbath. 


Till:  SABBATH.  liy 

And  if  those  who  are  voluntarily  employed  in 
profitable  industry.,  need  the  invigorating  influence 
of  the  Sabbath,  how  much  more  do  they,  who  are 
doomed  to  toil  under  the  lash  of  cruel  parents  and 
hard  masters  ?  The  Sabbath  is  the  poor  man's 
friend.  It  scatters  joy  and  gladness  over  his  path. 
To  him  it  is  the  bursting  of  a  bubbling  fountain  in 
the  scorching  desert — the  green  spot  on  earth's  wil- 
derness where  his  eye  rests  with  pleasure,  the  rising 
of  a  star  like  that  of  Bethlehem,  to  point  him  to  the 
place  of  peace  ! 

On  other  days  he  may  be  cheerless,  and  perhaps 
alone;  but  on  this,  his  eye  sparkles  with  delight 
while  he  gazes  on  the  little  family  circle,  and  his 
heart  glows  with  new  pleasure  as  he  looks  around 
upon  the  children  whom  God  hath  given  him,  and 
enjoys  a  day's  communion  with  the  wife  of  his 
bosom.  Ye  poor  of  the  world  !  love  the  Sabbath  ; 
for  it  throws  its  arms  around,  and  would  protect  you 
from  the  avaricious  cravmgs  of  the  rich. 

2.  Its  utility  is  manifest,  in  its  promotion  of 
cleanliness,  health,  and  civility. 

Every  one  knows,  that  on  the  Sabbath,  men  are 
ashamed  to  appear  in  their  usual  dress,  especially  if 
they  frequent  the  house  of  God.  Almost  without 
exception,  therefore,  you  will  find  persons  of  all 
ages,  and  conditions  of  life,  in  possession  of  what 
is  commonly  termed  "  an  every-day  suit,"  and  a 
"  Sunday  suit."  There  are  multitudes  who  make 
no  change  of  any  part  of  their  clothing,  until  the 


120  UTILITY    OF 

eve  or  morn  of  the  hallowed  day ;  and  how  many 
whose  skin  undergoes  no  purifying  process  except 
on  the  approach  of  the  Sabbath.  You  are  all  ac- 
quainted with  the  custom  of  mothers  in  washing 
their  children  on  Saturday  evening,  and  know  how 
common  it  is  in  Summer,  for  almost  all  persons, 
especially  laborers,  to  resort  to  a  neighboring  stream 
or  pond  of  water,  for  the  wholesome  purpose  of 
bathing. 

But  if  there  were  no  Sabbath,  clothes  might  be 
worn  until  they  were  disgusting  to  the  eye ;  if  there 
were  no  respite  from  wearisome  toil,  and  men  were 
obliged  to  labor  day  after  day  without  interruption, 
who  can  tell  how  often  the  multitude  would  deem  it 
convenient  to  apply  the  purifying  element  to  the 
porous  skin  ?  The  Sabbath  stands  forth  as  a  me- 
mento to  every  one,  of  the  importance  of  cleanliness 
of  person,  and  neatness  of  dress,  and  does  more 
than  any  other  instrumentality,  to  remove  from 
evangelized  nations  that  squalidness  which  charac- 
terizes savages. 

Immediately  connected  with  this  consequence  of 
the  Sabbath,  is  its  promotion  of  health.  This  it 
does  by  requiring  a  suspension  of  fatiguing  toil, 
which  must  soon  wear  out  the  system :  but  the 
intiuencp  it  everts  in  this  way,  to  which  I  now 
allude,  is  the  result  of  the  cleanliness  it  secures. 
One  or  the  requisite  means  for  the  enjoyment  of 
health,  is  the  removal  of  all  obstructions  to  a  free 
perspiration.     If  the  pores  are  not  kept  open   by 


THE    SABBATH.  121 

frequent  cleansing,  but  are  left  closed  by  the  filth 
which  will  soon  accumulate,  the  system  is  not  in 
possession  of  its  full  power  of  healthful  action,  and 
cannot  be  expected  either  to  operate  so  vigorously, 
or  so  enduringly.  No  one  can  tell,  therefore,  other 
things  being  equal,  how  much  the  health  of  this 
nation  is  promoted  by  the  regular  return  of  a  week- 
ly Sabbath. 

Civility,  or  good  manners,  are  also  cultivated  to 
a  high  degree,  by  the  observance  of  this  holy  day. 
The  very  dress  which  men  wear,  has  some  influence 
in  regulating  their  behavior.  There  seems  to  be  in 
the  eyes  of  all,  an  incongruity  between  the  decent 
attire  which  they  assume  on  that  day,  and  indecency 
or  impoliteness  of  manner.  Even  persons,  who  in 
a  different  dress  might  feel  at  liberty  to  transgress 
the  laws  of  courteousness,  when  they  themselves 
and  all  around  are  clad  in  clean  and  comely  gar- 
ments, seem  to  recognize  these  laws,  and  pay  their 
deference  to  them. 

The  company,  also,  in  which  men  are  found  on 
the  Sabbath,  (if  they  go  at  all  to  the  house  of  wor- 
ship,) the  truths  they  hear,  the  associations  of  place 
and  person,  all  conspire  to  the  cultivation  of  refine- 
ment and  decorum.  As  evil  communications  cor- 
rupt good  manners,  so  do  good  associations  and 
communications  promote  and  establish  them.  As 
the  memento  of  cleanliness,  the  hand-maid  of  health, 
the  index  to  civility,  the  Sabbath  proclaims  its  util- 
ity. 

L 


122  UTILITY    OF 

3.  The  Sabbath  is  useful,  also,  in  humhling  the 
pride  of  men,  and  recalling  to  mind  their  native 
equality.  Different  classes  of  society  arc  recognized 
in  the  Bible,  in  pointing  out  the  relative  duties  of 
masters  and  servants.  Yet  all  that  haughtiness  of 
demeanor,  and  feeling  of  superiority,  which  are  so 
apt  to  attach  themselves  to  elevated  rank,  is  abso- 
utely  forbidden  :  while  kindness  to  all,  and  conde- 
scension to  those  beneath  us  in  the  walks  of  life,  i,'? 
strictly  inculcated.  And  nothing,  perhaps,  is  better 
adapted  to  encourage  and  promote  an  attention  to 
the  one,  and  a  divorcement  from  the  other,  than  an 
observance  of  the  public  duties  of  the  Sabbath.  In 
the  house  of  worship,  and  even  in  the  cessation  from 
labor,  men  are  made  to  feel,  that  God  has  equally 
regarded  all,  that  they  are  alike  made  in  his  image, 
and  alike  invited  to  the  provisions  of  the  gospel. 
Here,  the  lesson  is  emphatically  impressed,  that  no 
distinctions  of  wealth,  honor,  or  learning,  will,  in 
themselves,  render  men  more  acceptable  to  God,  or 
more  worthy  of  his  regards,  and  that  man's  truest 
dignity  consists  in  wearing  the  image  of  Jehovah, 
and  being  assimilated  to  him  in  holiness. 

Here,  the  only  dignifying  and  really  valuable 
distinction  of  the  mass  of  mankind,  is  that  which 
originates  in  tiie  possession  of  true  piety.  Hence 
lhe  man  who  is  resplendent  with  worldly  honor,  or 
clothed  in  scarlet  and  purple  every  day,  feasting 
extravagantly  on  the  bounties  of  Providence,  and 
lifting  himself  up  with  pride  and  self-importance 


THE    SABBATH.  123 

because  of  his  adventitious  circumstances,  may 
often  look  around  him  in  the  sanctuary,  and  see  one 
and  another  far  below  him  in  earthly  condition,  yea, 
perhaps  among  his  own  dependants,  who,  in  the 
sight  of  God,  is  of  great  price,  and  exalted  to  hea- 
venly places  in  Christ  Jesus.  He  may  see  in  a 
Lazarus,  an  heir  of  glory,  a  resident  of  the  skies, 
a  man  high  in  honor  wdth  God,  because  of  his  moral 
qualities,  while  he  himself,  elevated  though  he  be  in 
worldly  pomp  and  grandeur,  is  actually  sunk  far 
beneath  him  in  everything  which  is  durably  good, 
and  lastingly  distinctive.  But  for  the  influence  of 
the  Sabbath,  then,  we  might  expect  to  see  the  aris- 
tocracy of  wealth  and  power  marching  with  far 
more  rapid  stride  to  complete  dominion,  than  it  now 
does,  and  laying  its  subjugating  and  enslaving  hand 
on  the  laboring  and  dependent  classes  of  men. 

4.  The  utility  of  the  Sabbath  is  further  apparent, 
in  the  opportunity  ivhich  it  affords  to  man  for  re- 
fection on  his  duty  and  destiny.  It  will  be  granted 
by  all,  that  this  is  but  the  portico  of  man's  existence, 
the  germ  of  his  future  being — that  he  is  endued  wdth 
capacities  of  knowledge  and  enjoyment,  which  as- 
similate him  to  angels,  and  even  to  God  himself — 
that  he  is  destined  to  employ  those  powers,  either  in 
everlasting  obedience  and  love,  or  in  eternal  disobe- 
dience, malevolence  and  wo,  accordingly  as  they  have 
been  directed  here  to  the  glory  of  God,  or  debased 
in  the  worship  of  self,  and  service  of  sin — and, 
hercfore,  that  it  is  infinitely  important  for  ever) 


124  UTILITY    OF 

child  of  Adam,  to  wake  up  in  his  mind  reflections 
on  his  present  spiritual  condition,  and  future  pros- 
pects. There  are  things  belonging  to  our  peace, 
which  shall  be  for  ever  hid  from  our  eyes,  unless 
we  employ  the  passing  moments  of  time,  in  solemn 
pondering  over  them,  and  frequent  seeking  after 
them. 

But  during  the  rest  of  the  week,  mankind  are  so 
engrossed  in  business  and  pleasure,  so  overwhelmed 
in  worldly  occupations,  so  devoted  to  secular  plans 
for  accumulating  what  they  shall  eat,  what  they 
shall  drink,  and  wherewithal  they  shall  be  clothed., 
that  if  no  silent  Sabbath  intervened  to  remind  them, 
by  its  solemn  stillness,  of  the  quiet  of  the  tomb,  and 
the  unknown  vast  of  eternity,  they  would  forget 
altogether  that  this  life  is  not  their  home,  and  that 
they  here  act  in  reference  to  a  future  world.  On 
this  sacred  day,  however,  the  mind,  which  has  for 
six  days  been  wholly  buried  in  the  world,  is  directed 
to  some  reflections  on  its  accountability,  and  its 
crimes.  And  although  it  be  not  religiously  observed, 
yet  wdl  its  holy  light  often  blaze  upon  the  soul  of 
the  smner,  overwhelm  him  with  conviction  of  guilt, 
stop  him  in  his  path  of  sin,  point  him  to  the  courts 
of  the  Lord's  house,  and  restrain  him  from  the  in- 
dulgence of  his  unholy  propensities,  and  wayward 
dispositions. 

And  to  the  Christian,  whose  time  and  thoughts 
have  been  necessarily  much  occupied  with  the  cares 
of  the  world,  how  welcome  is  the  day  of  rest,  when 


THE    SAKBATII.  125 

he  can  lay  aside  his  ordinary  employments,  and 
spend  his  hours  in  meditating  on  the  law  of  God, 
and  the  hopes  of  the  believer  in  Christ !  It  comes 
over  him  like  a  gale,  bearing  on  its  bosom  the  hal- 
lowing peace  of  heaven.  It  descends  upon  him 
weekly,  like  the  dew  of  Ilermon,  even  the  dew  that 
descended  on  the  mountains  of  Zion ;  where  the 
Lord  commanded  the  blessing,  even  life  for  ever- 
more. It  meets  him  like  a  returning  angel  of  mercy, 
whose  visits  are  far  enough  between,  and  who  comes 
from  the  everlasting  hills  with  life  and  immortality 
in  his  hands. — Precious  day !  may  thy  light  never 
leave  us — thine  influences  never  depart — thy  glory 
never  fade ! 

5.  The  utility  of  the  Sabbath  is  manifest,  again, 
in  the  opportunity  it  affords  for  moral  and  religious 
instruction^  and  the  diffusion  of  useful  knmvledge. 
The  value  of  instruction,  both  to  the  individual,  the 
community,  and  the  nation,  will  be  recognized  by 
all.  And  of  all  instruction,  that  is  best  which  is 
most  meliorating  to  the  heart,  and  of  most  practical 
utility  in  life.  Such  is  the  instruction  which  is 
peculiarly  imparted  on  the  Sabbath.  It  is  that  which 
discloses  duty,  and  has  a  direct  bearing  on  the  inter- 
ests of  all.  On  this  day,  the  Bible  is  opened  in  th^ 
pulpit,  and  the  living  teacher  expounds  its  truths  to 
the  people,  and  addresses  them  in  their  pmctical 
influences  to  the  conscience.  And  by  this  means, 
with  almost  no  expense,  there  is  communicated  to 
L2 


126  UTILITY    OF 

/he  mass  of  people,  a  greater  amount  of  valuable 
knowledge  than  can  be  estimated. 

But  leaving  the  pulpit,  go  into  the  domestic  sanc- 
tuary, and  witness  there  a  scene  which  has  sent 
gladness  into  many  a  heart,  and  has  done  more  for 
the  morality  of  this  nation,  than  all  her  public 
schools,  or  legal  enactments.  See  the  father  of  a 
family,  the  paternal  shepherd,  gathering  his  little 
flock  around  him,  making  them  to  lie  down  in  green 
pastures,  and  beside  the  still  waters.  See  him  in  the 
midst  of  those  whom  his  heart  loves,  open  the  sacred 
pages,  and  call  their  attention  to  the  story  of  Joseph, 
and  the  goodness  of  Joseph's  God — then  point  them 
to  the  babe  of  Bethlehem,  the  man  of  sorrows,  the 
persecuted  and  dying,  yet  meek,  submissive  and 
benevolent  Jesus  ;  and  while  he  tells  them  that  their 
sins  were  the  nails  and  the  spear,  which  fastened 
him  to  the  cross,  and  opened  the  veins  of  his  body ; 
that  he  left  heaven  to  die  thus  for  them,  you  may 
see  one  and  another  catching  his  words  with  listen- 
ing ear,  and  weeping  tears  of  sympathy.  Yes  ; 
and  you  may  follow  them  out  into  the  shadows  and 
realities  of  life,  and  you  will  find  that  an  impression 
has  been  made  by  the  familiar  instruction  of  the 
fireside,  which  has  restrained  them  from  the  haunts 
of  wickedness,  and  probably  led  them  into  the  church 
of  God.  Or  if  one  wanderer  hath  forgotten  the 
oious  lessons  of  his  childhood,  in  the  gay  follies  of 
youth,  often  in  the  energy  of  manhood,  or  on  the 
verge  of  old  cige,  will  they  steal  upon  his  ear  like 


THE    SABBATH.  127 

the  whisperings  of  spirits,  and  wake  him  up  from 
his  long  dream  of  forgetfulness.  And  if  not,  on  his 
dying  bed  he  will  confess,  that  often  in  his  wayward 
course,  did  the  shadow  of  his  godly  father  flit  before 
him,  or  the  voice  of  his  pious  mother  reach  his 
heart,  and  throw  a  momentary  check  over  his 
visions  of  folly,  and  his  schemes  of  crime. 

The  Sabbath  certainly  operates  most  beneficially 
in  presenting  a  suitable  occasion  to  parents,  for 
training  up  their  children  in  the  nurture  and  admo- 
nition of  the  Lord.  During  the  days  of  business, 
they  are  not  so  much  at  leisure  to  assemble  their 
families  around  them  ;  nor  are  children  generally  so 
much  disposed  to  attend  to  pious  instruction  on  any 
other  day.  Their  minds  are  then  preoccupied  with 
their  plays,  and  objects  of  pleasure.  But  on  the 
holy  day  which  they  have  been  taught  to  remember, 
on  which  they  see  all  work  suspended,  and  the  Bible 
and  religious  books  placed  on  the  table,  they  are 
prepared  to  hear  and  to  feel.  And  as  parents  value 
their  children's  souls,  and  their  country's  prosperity, 
let  them  not  neglect  on  the  Sabbath  day,  to  gather 
their  family  about  them,  and  in  the  use  of  some 
famihar  and  approved  catechism,  or  from  the  foun- 
tain itself,  infuse  into  their  tender  minds,  the  great 
facts  and  principles  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

I  remarked  also,  that  the  Sabbath  opened  the  way 
for  an  extensive  diffusion  of  useful  knowledge.  I 
had  in  view  especially,  the  Sabbath  School. 

[f  there  were   no  Sabbath,  there   would  be  no 


128  UTILITY    OF 

Sabbath  School.  And  the  express  object  of  this 
institution,  is  to  inculcate  on  the  minds  of  youth, 
the  high  value,  and  absolute  importance  of  holiness, 
which  will  not  only  ripen  them  for  heaven,  but  ren- 
der them  peaceful,  industrious,  and  civil  members  of 
society,  and  also  open  up  to  them  individually, 
springs  of  enjoyment,  which  are  concealed  from 
the  world.  Oh  !  how  many  a  poor  little  wanderer 
in  this  wide  wilderness,  cast  out  in  desolate  penury, 
has  been  taken  up  by  some  devoted  Sabbath  School 
Teacher,  led  to  this  nursery  of  godliness,  made  rich 
in  the  treasures  of  heaven,  and  become  an  ornament 
to  the  community  in  which  he  moved ;  or  perhaps, 
as  a  messenger  of  the  cross,  planted  his  banner  on 
the  far  hills  of  some  heathen  land !  And  how  many 
thousands  are  here  receiving  instruction,  and  grow- 
ing up  for  usefulness,  who  otherwise  had  died  in 
ignorance,  sloth,  and  crime. 

There  is  still  another  light  in  which  this  subject 
ought  to  be  contemplated.  By  means  of  the  Sab- 
bath School  there  are  circulated  extensively,  books 
and  tracts  of  an  interesting  and  profitable  character, 
which  are  not  only  read  by  the  children,  but  often 
attract  the  attention  of  parents  themselves,  and  have 
in  many  instances  become  an  arrow  of  conviction, 
and  an  instrument  of  regeneration.  No  one  can 
tell  how  much  of  the  most  practically  useful  know- 
ledge is  thus  diffused  through  society,  and  how  much 
of  the  moral  conduct  of  men  is  attributable  to  this 
cause      But  were  there  no  Sabbath,  and  of  course 


THE    SABBATH.  129 

no  Sabbath  School,  all  this  moral  power  would  be 
lost,  and  the  remainder  might  be  unequal  to  the  task 
of  sustaining  the  weight  of  corruption  and  ruin 
which  is  balanced  against  it.  The  Sabbath,  then,  is 
pre-eminently  useful  as  a  mean  of  diffusing  truth, 
and  impressing  it  on  the  mind. 

6.  Finally,  the  utility  of  the  Sabbath  is  apparent 
in  its  moral  efficacy  in  preserving  the  worship  of 
the  true  God,  and  sustaining  a  sense  of  account- 
ability.  You  may  walk  over  the  length  and  breadth 
of  any  land,  where  the  Sabbath  and  all  its  precious 
and  reforming  influences  have  never  been  known, 
and  your  eye  will  meet  no  pure  worshipper  of  the 
living  Jehovah  ;  and  you  may  plant  your  foot  on  the 
portal  of  no  temple  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the 
Eternal  and  Holy  One.  But  instead,  you  will  every- 
where find  the  deluded  multitude  bowing  their  knees 
to  the  workmanship  of  their  own  hands,  having 
changed  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God,  into  an 
image  made  like  unto  corruptible  man,  and  to  birds, 
and  four-footed  beasts,  and  creeping  things.  And 
if  you  follow  them  to  their  fanes,  you  witness,  most 
probably,  the  defiling  worship  of  a  prostitute  goddess. 

Or  you  may  go  to  those  who  have  lived  under  the 
light  of  Gospel  truth,  but  have  no  regard  for  the 
Sabbath  of  God,  and  their  conceptions  of  the  Deity 
are  such,  (if  they  are  not  actual  Atheists,)  as  leave 
them  entirely  irresponsible  for  their  conduct,  and 
sweep  away  from  their  minds  all  sense  of  account- 
ibility  to  God.     Look  at  infidel  France,  when  shs 


130  UTILITY    OF 

Strikes  out  of  her  statute-book  the  weekly  Sabbath 
and  substitutes  the  Decade.  She  has  the  counte- 
nance and  the  mien  of  a  maniac,  and  seems  rushing 
to  her  own  ruin,  and  looking  fury  in  the  face  of  her 
best  friends.  She  cries  night  and  day  up  and  dov  n 
the  streets,  "There  is  no  God,"  and  pays  her  formal 
devotions  to  the  substituted  goddess  of  Reason.  She 
lights  up  a  fire  and  burns  the  Bible,  or  for  the 
amusement  of  the  people  and  the  gratification  of  her 
maniacal  and  fiendish  spirit,  ties  it  to  the  tail  of  an 
ass,  and  parades  it  through  the  market-places.  She 
drives  her  horses  and  cattle  into  the  house  of  God, 
swears  there  is  no  immortality,  and  that  death  is  an 
eternal  sleep ;  wishes  she  might  imbrue  her  hands 
in  the  blood  of  the  Redeemer,  talks  with  Satanic 
malevolence  of  the  delight  it  would  have  gi^'en  her 
to  drive  the  nails,  and  thrust  the  spear,  and  builds 
her  thousand  altars  to  be  stained  with  the  blood  of 
millions  of  human  victims.  And  when  she  lias 
accomplished  her  purpose,  and  stripped  herself  of 
lier  glory,  she  goes  out  naked,  to  die  unblest  and 
unlamented,  without  a  mourner  to  follow  her  to  the 
tomb.  And  let  those  who  would  abolish  the  Salj- 
bath,  or  lessen  its  sanctity  in  the  eyes  of  men,  go 
and  sit  upon  her  grave,  and  ponder  well  the  course 
she  took,  and  the  end  to  which  it  conducted  her. 
Let  them  go  and  call  up  her  spirit  from  the  shades 
of  the  sepulchre,  and  inquire  of  it  whether  the  ob- 
servance of  the  Sabbath  is  not  the  safeguard  of 
liberty  and  religion ;  and  whether  its  neglect  is  not 


THE   SABBATH.  131 

paving  the  way  for  the  introduction  of  infiaelity  and 
scepticism,  and  the  loss  of  individual  and  national 
accountability,  and  with  tears  of  blood  she  will  an- 
swer in  the  affirmative,  and  solemnly  warn  you  not 
to  tread  in  her  steps. 

And  let  it  not  be  thought  that  the  Bible  is  suffi- 
cient in  itself,  without  the  Sabbath,  to  pr(  vent  these 
consequences,  and  diffuse  a  wholesome  moral  prin- 
ciple. It  is  not.  Without  the  energies  of  this  holy 
rest,  it  could  make  little  impression  on  the  stony 
heart  of  man.  And  therefore  God  appoints  the  Sab- 
bath and  the  ministry  of  reconciliation  in  union  with 
.t,  that  he  may  summon  up  the  attention  of  men  to 
its  important  and  essential  lessons.  No;  without 
the  sanctity  of  this  precious  day,  the  Bible  and  all 
other  moral  influences  would  fade  away,  and  die 
from  off  the  earth.  They  would  be  but  a  "  broken 
reed  at  best "  before  the  mighty  strength  of  unre- 
strained corruption.  Law  and  gospel  would  both 
be  forgotten,  and  the  moral  government  of  Jehovah 
be  trodden  under  foot. 

And  in  confirmation  of  this  assertion,  you  may 
look  to  cities  and  towns  in  your  own  land,  where 
the  Sabbath  is  little  regarded,  and  you  see  God  dis- 
honored, his  name  wantonly  profaned,  and  all  his 
laws  set  at  nought.  And  just  in  proportion  as  this 
day  is  desecrated,  will  the  knowledge  and  worship 
of  the  true  God  fail  from  the  mind,  the  moral  sense 
of  the  nation  be  impaired,  its  power  decay,  its  foun 
dations  be  destroyed,  and  its  pillars  fall.     And  tlien 


132  UTILITY    OF 

It  will  stand  forth  a  monument  of  the  wisdom  of 
God,  and  the  folly  of  man ;  and  it  will  hold  up  tc 
the  light,  the  too  much  forgotten  farewell  sentimeni 
of  the  Father  of  this  country,  that  "national  moral- 
ity cannot  prevail  in  exclusion  of  religious  princi- 
ple." And  we  may  add,  that  religious  principle  will 
not  pervade  a  community,  in  exclusion  of  the  Sab- 
hath,  which  is  the  only  sufficiently  general,  impres- 
sive, and  popular  medium  of  inculcating  it. 

REFLECTIONS. 

1 .  I  might  call  your  attention  to  many  reflections 
arising  from  this  subject;  as  the  gratitude  with 
v.'hich  the  Sabbath  should  be  received  and  observed, 
the  enormity  of  the  sin  of  its  profanation,  the  im- 
portance of  faithfully  performing  its  public  and  pri- 
vate duties  ;  but  I  shall  omit  these,  and  state,  as  the 
first  inference,  the  importance  of  a  strict  regard 
for  the  Sabbath  in  civil  rulers,  and  legislative  as- 


Men  in  the  high  places  of  power  are  prone  to  for- 
get their  responsibility  to  God ;  and  so  dizzied  are 
they  by  their  splendid  elevation,  that  they  seem  to 
look  upon  themselves  as  rightfully  exempted  from 
present  obligation.  Yea,  it  is  too  common  for  them 
to  glory  in  their  shame,  to  boast  of  their  exemption 
from  puritanical  severity,  and  superstitious  bigotry, 
and  to  think  highly  of  themselves,  because  when  at 
Rome,  they  can  do  as  Rome  does,  and  rise  above 
the  stricter  practices,  and  holier  feelings  of  home. 


THE    SABBATH.  133 

But  how  they  actually  demean  themselves  by  such 
a  course,  in  the  eyes  of  all  reflecting  and  judicious 
persons  !  Oh  !  that  they  felt  how  much  is  commit- 
ted to  them,  how  their  acts  tell  upon  the  nation,  and 
send  down  into  every  corner  of  the  land,  either  life 
or  death  !  And  do  they  not  know,  that  by  all  their 
crimes,  and  especially  by  the  breach  of  the  Sabbath, 
they  are  robbing  this  peaceful  land  of  its  only  hope? 
Are  they  not  aware  that  by  converting  the  Lord's- 
day  into  a  mere  holiday,  and  by  their  example  en- 
couraging its  profanation,  they  are  opening  up  the 
sluices  of  depravity,  infusing  poison  into  the  vitals 
of  the  Republic,  and  scattering  fire-brands  and  death 
among  the  people  ?  Do  they  not  know  that  when- 
ever this  organ  of  the  Divine  administration  is  im- 
paired, the  moral  government  of  God  loses  its  in- 
fluence over  the  minds  of  men,  and  leaves  them  to 
misrule  and  confusion  ?  Oh  !  that  they  were  wise, 
that  they  understood  this !  And  oh  !  that  I  could 
whisper  into  their  ears,  that  at  some  future  day  their 
children  may  rise  up  and  call  them  accursed,  for 
stealing  away  from  them  the  moral  efficacy  of  reli- 
gious institutions,  and  with  it  the  peace  and  order, 
ihe  liberty  and  joy,  of  a  happy  government ! 

When  rulers  sin,  the  land  mourns.  When  they 
break  the  Sabbath,  they  pursue  a  miserable  policy, 
they  weaken  the  bonds  of  society,  break  in  sunder 
the  strong  cords  of  religious  obligation,  and  leave 
us  nothing  to  bind  the  passions  of  the  human  heart, 
save  the  brittle  thread  of  civil  law,  which,  unsup- 
M 


134  UTILITY    OF 

ported  by  the  moral  restraints  of  religious  institu- 
tions, is  weaker  before  them  than  the  shadows  of 
night  before  the  rising  sun. 

With  a  slight  alteration,  the  language  of  another 
on  a  different  subject  may  be  adapted  to  that  before 
us.  "  The  hand  that  lays  its  polluting  touch  on  the 
altars  of  God,  and  undermines  the  foundations  of 
the  Sabbath,  is  the  hand  of  death  unbarring  the 
gates  of  Pandemonium,  and  letting  loose  upon  our 
land  the  crimes  and  the  miseries  of  hell.  And  even 
if  the  Most  High  should  stand  aloof,  (which  he  will 
not,)  and  cast  not  a  single  ingredient  into  our  cup 
of  trembling,  it  would  seem  to  be  full  of  superlative 
wo."  Then  let  our  rulers,  as  they  regard  the  au 
thority  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth,  as  they  would  be 
the  real  benefactors  and  guardians  of  their  country, 
as  they  value  the  best  interests  of  posterity,  and  the 
happiness  of  the  world,  withhold  themselves  from 
a  profanation  of  God's  day,  and  by  a  moral  exam- 
ple diffuse  over  this  nation  the  wholesome  restraints, 
and  gladdening  influences  of  the  Divine  govern- 
ment.  Then  will  the  people  rise  up  and  call  them 
blessed. 

2.  Let  every  man  who  would  lay  claim  to  pnf- 
riotism  and  be  thought  a  good  member  of  citil 
society^  keep  back  his  foot  from  polluting  the  Sab- 
bath. 

It  is  manifest,  from  the  preceding  remarks,  that 
the  Sabbath-breaker  strikes  at  the  root  of  all  that  is 
peaceful  and  orderly,  and  opens  the  way  for  the 


THE    SABBATH.  135 

spread  of  irreligion,  infidelity,  and  moral  death. 
The  man  who  by  his  example  weakens  the  perva- 
ding sense  of  obligation  to  God,  and  overthrows  the 
authority  of  a  Divine  institution,  does  so  much  to- 
ward the  ruin  of  his  country,  and  is  one  of  its  worst 
enemies.  He  may  not  feel  himself  to  be  so,  but  he 
is  so  in  reality. 

We  can  little  regard  a  man's  boasts  of  patriotism, 
his  fourth  of  July  orations,  his  flaming  toasts,  his 
shouldering  of  his  musket  on  public  days,  when  we 
see  him  regardless  of  the  laws  of  God,  and  by  an 
immoral  example  sapping  the  foundations  of  repub- 
lican government.  He  is  no  patriot  at  heart.  For 
the  real  friend  of  his  country  will  avoid  every  course 
which  is  manifestly  ruinous  to  its  interests,  and  will 
uphold  every  institution  which  is  promotive  of  its 
welfare.     And  what  more  so  than  the  Sabbath  ? 

And  here  recall  the  noble  sentiments  of  the  vene- 
rated Washington.  "Of  all  the  dispositions  and 
habits  which  lead  to  political  prosperity,  religion  and 
morality  are  indispensable  supports.  In  vain  would 
that  man  claim  the  tribute  of  patriotism,  who  should 
labor  to  subvert  these  great  pillars  of  human  happi- 
ness, these  firmest  props  of  the  duties  of  men  and 
citizens.  The  mere  politician  equally  with  the  pious 
man,  ought  to  respect  and  cherish  them."  Would 
that  his  mantle  had  dropped  upon  the  world,  and 
were  now  worn  by  his  children  in  this  land ! 

I  repeat  it,  it  is  vanity  for  that  man  to  lay  claim 
o  the  tribute  of  patriotism,  who  by  his  example  and 


136  UTILITY    OF 

influence  in  reference  to  the  Sabbath,  is  subverting 
religion  and  morality,  those  great  pillars  of  human 
happiness.  He  may  have  much  of  the  milk  of  hu- 
man kindness,  may  possess  the  sweet  charities  of 
life,  may  be  amiable,  and  admired  for  his  talents  and 
usefulness  in  other  respects,  yet  if  he  break  the 
fourth  commandment,  and  teach  men  so,  he  shall 
not  only  be  of  no  esteem  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
but  is  certainly  laying  the  axe  at  the  root  of  his 
country's  brightest  hopes. 

3.  A  third  inference  is,  that  they  who  are  anxiovs 
for  the  preservation  of  the  Sabbatk  from,  desecra- 
tion, and  whose  anxiety  has  waked  them  up  to  peti- 
tion the  councils  of  the  nation  to  withdraw  govern- 
mental example  and  sanction  from  polluting  this 
holy  day,  so  far  from  being  the  enemies  of  their 
country's  liberty,  are  decidedly  her  best  friends ; 
consulting  for  her  welfare  in  the  fear  of  God,  and 
in  accordance  with  the  lessons  of  experience. 

It  is  true,  they  have  been  denounced  as  a  combi- 
nation of  priests,  aiming  at  the  overthrow  of  our 
civil,  and  the  establishment  of  ecclesiastical  govern- 
ment ;  they  have  been  cried  down  as  guilty  of  high 
treason  against  the  commonwealth,  and  have  been 
branded  with  the  infamy  of  scheming  for  revolu- 
tion ;  but  the  meanwhile  in  their  innocence  and  in- 
tegrity have  they  been  weeping  between  the  porch 
and  the  altar,  because  men  forsake  the  law  of  God, 
and  pave  the  way  for  the  uprooting  of  their  fair  in- 
heritance from  their  pious  fathers.   They  know,  that 


THE    SABBATH.  137 

republican  government  cannot  exist  without  the  per- 
vasion of  moral  principle  secured  by  the  Sabbath. 
And  they  know  also  that  the  gospel  with  its  institu- 
tions, is  the  only  thorough  reformer,  that  where  its 
truths  are  unknown,  its  motives  unfelt,  its  high 
sanctions  unrealized,  there  will  assuredly  be  the 
death  of  all  that  is  purifying  and  peaceful. 

Who  are  now  the  profane,  the  debauched,  the 
noisy,  the  riotous,  the  friends  of  theatres,  of  races, 
of  masquerades,  of  pubhc  balls,  of  duelling  ?  Are 
they  not  precisely  those  who  are  irrehgious,  and 
contemners  of  gospel  institutions? 

And  on  what  do  these  political  dreamers  found 
their  hopes  of  seeing  this  nation  a  century  hence  the 
fairest  and  happiest  land  on  God's  footstool  ?  Is  it 
on  our  facilities  of  trade  and  commerce,  on  our 
productive  soil,  our  growing  population,  our  free 
institutions,  our  unshackled  press  ?  But  do  they  not 
know  that  all  these  things  are  only  the  elements  of  a 
greater  conflagration,  if  the  kindling  flame  be  not 
extinguished  by  pouring  out  upon  it  the  waters  of 
life ;  if  the  foundations  be  not  strengthened  by  the 
firm  props  of  religious  and  moral  principle  ? 

Friends  of  your  country,  awake !  put  on  the 
armor  of  the  gospel,  shine  forth  in  the  splendor  of 
whatsoever  things  are  pure,  honest,  lovely,  and  of 
good  report,  and  put  forth  the  strong  arm  of  prayer 
to  uphold  the  Sabbath. 

4.  Finally.  Let  us  inquire,  how  have  we  ob- 
M2 


138  DUTIES    OP 

served  the  Sabbath?  What  is  our  example,  what 
our  influence?  Are  we  venerators  of  the  institutions 
of  God,  or  can  we  lightly  esteem  the  obligations, 
and  wantonly  break  the  laws  of  the  Gospel  ? 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  DUTIES  OF  THE  SABBATH. 

This  chapter  will  embrace  the  final  topic, — the 
duties  of  the  Sabbath. 

Dr.  Paley  has  remarked,  that  "  if  the  Sabbath  be 
binding  on  Christians,  it  must  be  so,  as  to  the  day 
the  duties,  and  the  penalty." 

In  reference  to  the  day,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  whenever  it  is  pointed  out  by  Divine  authority, 
it  is  equally  obligatory  with  the  rest  itself.  But  that 
the  day  originally  fixed,  must  be  immutably  binding, 
can  certainly  never  be  contended.  That  part  of  a 
moral  or  immutable  law,  which  is  only  circumstan- 
tial or  ceremonial,  may  be  changed  at  any  time  by 
the  will  of  the  Supreme  Legislator.  If  the  original 
day  never  has  been  altered  by  the  proper  authority, 
then  it  is  assuredly  binding.  But  if  the  evidence 
adduced  for  a  change  be  satisfactory,  then  the  new 
day  becomes  as  obligatory  as  the  original  one  under 
the  former  dispensation. 

As  to  the  penalty,  it  must  be  known  to  all  familiar 
with  the  Bible,  that  under  the  old  dispensation,  in 


THE    SABBATH.  139 

which  God  sustained  the  relation  of  civil  Ruler,  as 
well  as  Jehovah  to  be  worshipped,  there  were  an- 
nexed civil  penalties  even  to  moral  statutes.  Hence 
an  idolater,  who  disobeyed  the  first  and  second 
commandments  of  the  Decalogue,  and  a  child  who 
disobeyed  the  fifth,  were  both  put  to  death ;  as  was 
also  the  Sabbath-breaker,  by  a  public  stoning.  If, 
then,  the  merely  civil  penalty  be  binding  equally 
with  the  law  of  the  Sabbath  itself,  and  the  one  can- 
not  exist  without  the  other ;  neither  can  the  worship 
of  God,  and  obedience  to  parents,  (moral  duties,)  be 
binding,  without  the  annexed  penalty  of  death.  But 
who  would  argue  thus?  The  truth  is,  that  these 
severe  penalties  attached  to  certain  moral  laws,  were 
entirely  of  a  political  nature,  and  originated  in  the 
civil  relations  which  the  Jewish  people  sustained  to 
God  as  their  Governor.  These  relations  to  that 
peculiar  people  being  now  dissolved,  all  the  laws 
and  penalties  which  grew  out  of  them,  are  of  course 
no  longer  obligatory,  while  they  cannot  at  all  affect 
the  immutable  nature  of  moral  precepts.  The 
everlasting  penalty,  however,  which  is  in  all  cases 
the  ultimate  and  principal,  is  now,  as  ever,  binding 
on  every  impenitent  Sabbath-breaker,  or  violator  of 
any  of  God's  moral  statutes. 

The  duties  of  the  Sabbath,  it  is  contended,  remain 
untouched,  and  still  binding,  as  pointed  out  in  the 
law,  the  prophets,  and  the  gospel.  These  are,  in 
fact,  the  law  itself,  and  this  we  have  found  to  be 
perpetually  and  universally  obligatory.     They  are 


140  DUTIES    OF 

no  circumstantial  part  of  the  law,  are  enforced  by 
the  example  of  God  himself,  made  equally  binding 
on  all  in  the  fourth  commandment,  and  nowhere 
i-escinded  in  the  New  Testament,  either  by  the 
direct  precept^  or  example  of  our  Lord  or  his  apostles. 

To  these  duties,  therefore,  as  indicated  in  the  law 
itself,  and  in  the  interpretations  of  the  prophets,  the 
Master,  and  the  apostles,  we  shall  now  dii-ect  our 
attention,  and  consider  them  under  the  two  general 
heads  of  rest  from  the  lawfvl  engagements  of  other 
days,  and  devotion  to  religious  services, 

1.  Rest  from  laiifyl  engagements  of  other  daya^ 
J  make  use  of  the  term  lawful,  because  no  one 
would  suppose  universally  sinful  conduct  to  b&  per- 
mitted on  the  Sabbath,  and  also  to  intimate  that 
such  is  the  peculiar  sanctity  of  the  day,  as  to  render 
unlawful,  employments  which  at  other  times  ai-e- 
absolute  duties. 

This  proposition,  which  determines  the  negative 
duties  of  the  Sabbath,  is  evidently  founded  on  the 
law  itself,  which  reads,  "Remember  the  Sabbath 
day,  to  keep  it  hdy :  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any 
work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  thy  man- 
servant, nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor 
thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates.'*  Here  every 
member  of  every  family,  is  absolutely  prohibited 
from  being  employed  in  any  work  which  is  not 
either  demanded  by  the  constitution  of  human 
nature,  and  the  relations  of  the  human  family,  or 
connected  with  the  worship  of  God.     That  these 


THE    SABBATH.  141 

limitations  are  to  be  put  on  the  general  prohibitory 
term  "  a/ty,"  might  be  easily  shown  by  an  appeal 
to  the  authorized  interpretations  of  the  precept,  and 
may  be  inferred  from  part  of  the  law  itself.  It  is 
written,  six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy 
work.  It  is  manifest  that  the  word  "  all "  in  this 
clause,  does  not  include  the  appropriate  works  of  the 
Sabbath,  those  of  compassion,  and  those  belonging 
to  the  service  of  God,  and  command  all  these  to  be 
done  in  the  six  days,  but  requires  the  completion  of 
our  secular  employments  before  the  arrival  of  the 
Sabbath.  Any  of  these  works,  therefore,  all  of 
which  are  to  be  done  in  six  days,  may  not  be  per- 
formed on  the  Sabbath. 

There  is  the  same  exclusion  of  secular  business, 
and  obligation  of  withholding  from  it  in  the  original 
institution,  when  God  sanctified  the  Sabbath.  The 
sanctification  of  days,  as  all  familiar  with  the  Bible 
know,  can  only  mean  the  distinguishing  them  from 
others  for  sacred  purposes.  But  how  is  the  Sabbath 
thus  distinguished,  unless  men  on  that  day  are  re- 
quired to  rest  from  that  pursuit  of  business,  and 
those  secular  occupations,  which  are  appropriate  on 
other  days  ? 

Other  interpretations  of  the  law,  (and  surely  every 
legislator  is  at  liberty  to  interpret  his  own  laws.) 
scattered  through  Exodus,  Nehemiah,  and  the  Pro- 
phets, make  it  certain  that  every  kind  of  secular 
engagement,  exclusively  of  the  limitations  specified, 
Ls  prohibited  on  the  Sabbath.     The  gathering  of 


142  DUTIES    OF 

manna  for  food,  of  wood  for  fuel,  of  grain  or  hay 
in  harvest,  the  sowing  of  seed,  the  bearing  of  bur- 
dens, every  species  of  trade,  and  all  kinds  of  work 
which  require  laboring  animals  ;  for  these  are  enti- 
tled to  the  rest  on  the  authority  of  God.* 

There  is  in  Isaiah  58:13,  a  passage  which  em- 
braces in  a  few  words,  a  summary  exposition  of  that 
part  of  the  law,  which  requires  abstinence  from  the 
ordinary  employments  of  the  week.  It  consists  in 
"  not  doing  thine  own  ways,  nor  finding  thine  own 
pleasure,  nor  speaking  thine  own  words."  Six  days 
are  ours  in  distinction  from  the  seventh,  which  God 
calls  his  own,  because  on  those  days  we  are  permit- 
ted to  give  our  attention  to  what  is  necessary  for 
our  temporal  well-being  and  comfort.  Our  "  own 
ways,"  therefore,  are  not  those  which  are  at  all 
times  sinful,  but  those  lawful  ways  which  we  pur- 
sue by  God's  authority  six  days  of  the  week.  These 
are  to  be  suspended  on  the  Sabbath,  that  we  may 
devote  ourselves  to  those  ways  which  are  God's  dis- 
tinctively from  our  own. 

This  branch  of  the  subject,  then,  may  be  embraced 
in  a  resting  from  thoughts,  conversation,  and  action 
which  are  secular  in  their  character,  and  laufid  on 
other  days  of  the  week. 

1.  Secular  or  worldly  thoughts.  Although  this 
may  not  be  directly  specified,  no  one  can  doubt  thai 

*  See  Exod.  16:22—30.    23:12.     34:21.     35:2,3.    Num.  15:32- 
36.    Neh.  10:31.    13:15—22.    Jer.  17:19—27.    Amos  8:5—10. 


THE    SABBATH.  143 

it  is  intended.  If  a  man  be  occupied  during  the  day 
in  thoughts  on  his  business,  his  plans  of  accumu- 
lating wealth,  his  means  and  prospects  of  earthly 
enjoyment,  he  is  evidently  finding  his  own  pleasure, 
and  he  only  wants  a  release  from  the  restraints  of 
law,  in  order  to  his  acting  out  his  thoughts.  God 
looketh  at  the  heart,  and  therefore  worldly  desires, 
carnal  affections,  and  secular  schemes,  occupying 
the  mind  on  the  Sabbath,  must  be,  in  his  view,  as 
far  as  the  individual  himself  is  concerned,  a  direct 
violation  of  the  command  enjoining  rest  from  lawful 
occupations  of  other  days. 

2.  Worldly  conversation.  This  is  expressly  for- 
bidden. "  Not  speaking  thine  own  words."  But 
how  awfully  is  this  part  of  the  requirement  forgot- 
ten !  Politicians  hesitate  not  to  meet  in  the  tavern, 
or  at  the  corner,  to  scan  the  merits  of  respective 
candidates,  to  calculate  probabilities  of  success,  and 
enter  into  warm  debate  on  points  of  character  or 
policy.  The  merchant  discourses  on  the  prices  of 
goods,  the  present  demand  and  supply,  and  the  pro- 
fits of  various  articles.  The  lawyer  calls  some 
brother  of  the  profession  into  his  office,  and  together 
they  argue  some  disputed  point  of  law,  or  some  an- 
ticipated case  of  the  next  court.  The  farmer  talks 
of  the  weather,  the  poor  corn,  the  good  wheat  of  the 
year,  and  the  expected  rises  and  falls  in  the  market. 
The  devotees  of  fashion  can  tell  you  of  every  new 
bonnet,  and  every  tawdry  dress,  and  almost  reli- 
giously some  will  descant  on  the  folly  and  pride  of 


144  DUTIES    OF 

the  wearers  of  tinkling  ornaments,  chains,  and 
bracelets,  and  rings,  and  jewels,  of  mantles,  and 
hoods,  and  veils.  Others  admire  the  eloquence  of 
the  preacher,  the  ease  and  gracefulness  of  his  deliv- 
ery, or  the  purity  and  perspicuity,  or  beauty  and 
force  of  the  style.  And  others  again,  after  public 
service,  assemble  in  little  neighborly  groups,  not  to 
praise  God,  and  cultivate  holy  feelings  and  practi- 
cal godliness,  but  to  judge  their  fellows,  measure  all 
by  their  own  rule,  attribute  motives  which  are  not 
apparent,  and  find  fault  with  those  who,  perhaps 
are  better  Christians  than  themselves. 

This  post  requires  all  our  watchfulness.  It  is  weak 
and  much  exposed  to  the  attacks  of  the  enemy. 
How  easily  do  the  people  of  God  fail  here  !  How 
imperceptibly  do  they  slide  into  conversation  on  the 
mere  circumstances  of  religion,  and  then  fall  into 
the  common  talk  of  the  world  !  Beware  of  speak- 
ing thine  own  words  on  the  holy  Sabbath,  lest  the 
spiritual  duties  and  enjoyments  of  the  day,  finally 
become  a  weariness,  and  the  hopes  of  the  Christian 
forsake  thee  for  ever. 

3.  Rest  from  worldly  actions,  or  the  employments 
of  business  and  pleasure,  is  required  as  a  duty  of 
the  day.  That  public  business  should  be  suspended 
shops  shut,  farming  implements  laid  aside,  schools 
f^losed,  courts  and  legislatures  adjourned,  and  pub- 
lic worship,  if  possible,  attended,  seems  to  be  pretty 
generally  acknowledged.  Yet  there  arc  many  who 
think  it  no  harm  to  take  a  walk  or  ride  for  pleasure 


THE    SABBATH.  145 

to  stroll  about  the  streets,  assemble  at  corners,  spend 
their  hours  in  the  garden  admiring  the  flowers,  (not 
piously,)  or  range  the  farm  to  examine  the  fences, 
and  only  put  up  a  rail  if  it  have  fallen  out  of  place, 
or  to  watch  the  growth  of  their  fruit  trees,  and  cal- 
culate the  quantity  of  their  apples.  Others  deem  it 
no  violation  of  the  command,  to  receive  and  answer 
letters  of  any  description,  to  read  political  newspa- 
pers, or  scientific,  literary,  and  fictitious  works,  to 
cast  up  their  accounts,  and  make  arrangements  for 
the  morrow,  to  sit  in  their  offices  and  read  Black- 
stone,  or  weigh  the  evidence  on  some  pending  cause, 
or  if  they  be  physicians,  to  take  up  a  late  number 
of  the  Medical  Recorder,  and  lie  in  bed  late  in  the 
morning,  that  the  rest  of  the  day  may  be  necessarily 
employed  in  visiting  patients,  or  if  they  be  farmers, 
much  occupied  m  putting  in  their  seed,  or  gathering 
their  harvest,  to  postpone  sending  for  the  doctor  to 
prescribe  for  a  wife  or  daughter  who  has  been  sick 
all  week,  until  they  have  filled  up  their  own  time, 
and  can  rob  God  of  his,  and  the  physician  of  his 
right,  by  calling  him  away  on  the  Sabbath.  Then 
tliey  lose  no  work,  and  quiet  conscience  with  a  good 
excuse  for  violating  the  holy  rest. 

Others  take  it  to  be  a  very  convenient  day  foi 
visiting  friends,  and  spending  a  few  hours  with  them, 
when  they  need  not  be  at  the  trouble  of  dressing  on 
purpose,  nor  take  any  time  from  their  daily  employ 
ments  in  the  family. 

But  i  wish  particularly  under  this  head  to  exam- 
N 


146  DUTIES    OF 

ine  some  of  the  more  plausible  breaches  of  the 
Sabbath,  and  show  how  ill-founded  are  the  excuses 
which  are  offered  in  support  of  them.  If  these 
cannot  be  sustained,  much  less  those  violations  which 
are  ordinary. 

First,  I  shall  notice  the  conduct  of  attorneys  and 
judges  in  going  to  court.  The  excuse  is,  that  the 
session  commences  on  Monday,  and  they  are  en- 
gaged in  causes  which  require  an  early  attendance , 
or  they  may  lose  employment  by  not  being  present 
on  the  morning  of  the  first  day. 

It  may  be  replied,  that  no  law  of  their  country 
can  either  require  or  authorize  them,  to  infringe  on 
the  laws  and  rights  of  Jehovah.  If  courts  must 
commence  on  Monday,  (for  which  there  is  no  neces- 
sity,) then,  in  cases  where  it  would  be  impossible  to 
arrive  sufficiently  early  by  setting  off  at  day-light, 
it  becomes  a  duty  to  leave  home  on  Saturday,  and 
proceed  either  a  part  or  the  whole  of  the  way.  But 
here  self  intervenes,  and  pleads  a  trifle  more  of 
expense  which  it  cannot  afford,  or  a  family  with 
whom  it  would  be  pleasant  to  remain  a  day  longer, 
or  some  business  at  home  that  may  be  lost  by  leaving 
on  Saturday.  In  regard  to  the  expense  which 
might  accrue  from  an  additional  day's  absence,  by 
leaving  home  on  Saturday,  it  would  in  few  cases 
amount  to  anything.  For  where  boarding  is  wanted 
during  a  week  or  two,  one  day  seldom  makes  any 
difference  in  the  charge.  And  even  if  the  expense 
were  something  more,  it  would  be  a  trifling  excuse 


THE    SABBATH.  147 

for  a  breach  of  God's  law,  an  excuse  which  would 
blush  to  appear  in  the  light  of  Christ's  judgment 
throne. 

The  pleasure  of  being  longer  present  with  a 
family,  also,  and  the  probability  of  securing  some 
business  by  remaining  at  home  on  Saturday,  are 
both  excuses  which  arise  from  seeking  our  own 
things  in  preference  to  the  things  of  Jesus  Christ,  the 
honor  of  God's  law,  and  the  best  interests  of  the 
community.  The  authority  of  Jehovah  is  para- 
mount. It  pervades  all  classes  and  all  relations.  It 
requires  of  legislators  so  to  frame  their  laws,  as  not 
to  interfere  with  the  rights  of  the  Supreme  Judge  of 
the  nations,  and  of  lawyers  to  keep  their  feet  from 
polluting  the  Sabbath,  aud  beware  of  treading  on 
this  holy  ground  with  unholy  step.  It  has,  also,  so 
linked  together  duty  and  interest,  that  no  one  who 
conscientiously  obeys,  will  ever  be  the  loser. 

A  second  mode  of  interfering  with  the  prohibitory 
clause  of  the  law  requiring  rest  from  secular  en. 
gagements  lawful  on  other  days,  is  that  which  some 
people  adopt  in  making  a  delay  at  a  place  of  public 
worship  during  the  services,  and  then  proceeding  on 
their  journey,  quieting  every  monition  of  conscience 
by  the  past  services  of  the  sanctuary.  I  have  known 
persons  to  be  off  early  on  the  Sabbath  morning  with 
the  intention  of  riding  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  to 
some  town  or  country  congregation,  tarrying  there 
long  enough  to  hear  a  sermon,  and  have  themselves 
and  horses  refreshed,  then  advancing  as  many  more 


1 48  DUTIES    OF 

miles.  Tlius  they  will  have  accomplished  a  pretty 
good  day's  journey,  and  very  piously  have  kept  the? 
Sabbath  also.  This  is  sometimes  done  when  there 
is  preaching  in  the  place  where  they  lodged  on 
Saturday  night,  or  somewhere  near  it,  yet  to  carnal 
reasoning  it  will  appear  that  they  may  hear  as  good 
a  sermon,  and  perhaps  better,  ten  or  fifteen  miles  on 
the  way ;  and  therefore  it  will  be  perfectly  justifiable 
to  proceed  with  this  in  prospect. 

"  But  if  there  be  no  preaching  convenient  to  oar 
Saturday  night  lodging,  may  we  not  as  profitably 
travel,  and  meditate  by  the  way,  as  tarry  where  we 
are  ?"  I  answer,  no ;  and  shall  give  the  reasons 
under  a  succeeding  head. 

Others  have  some  farm,  or  factory,  or  forge,  or 
furnace,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  off,  at  which  they 
wish  to  be,  early  on  Monday  morning.  The  best 
way  of  accomplishing  it,  will  be  to  leave  home  on 
Sabbath  morning,  (although  they  might  have  heard 
preaching  there,)  ride  half  way,  less  or  more,  to  the 
house  of  God,  which  happens  to  be  on  the  road,  and 
either  abide  there  with  some  friends,  or  if  there  be 
a  prayer-meeting,  or  any  religious  exercises,  a  few 
miles  farther  on,  conclude  to  embrace  the  privilege 
of  being  present :  and  now  they  are  within  sight  of 
their  farm  or  factory,  or  it  may  be  on  the  very  spot. 
Yet  they  endeavor  to  persuade  themselves  that  they 
have  kept  the  Sabbath  holy,  while  their  primary 
purpose  was  to  accommodate  its  sacred  hours  to  the 
attainment  of  a  secular  object.     All  these  modes  of 


THE    SABBATH.  149 

unsanctifying  God's  Sabbath,  and  that  by  professors 
of  religion,  are  stealing  away  his  rights,  robbing 
him  of  his  own  peculiar  time,  undermining  the  foun- 
dations of  his  government,  causing  his  law  to  pass 
away,  searing  the  conscience,  hardening  the  heart, 
throwing  off  obligations,  and  adopting  the  moral 
precepts  of  God  as  the  standard  of  duty  only  so  far 
as  to  us  seemeth  expedient. 

A  third  species  of  travelling  which  is  not  resting 
according  to  the  commandment,  is  that  which  is 
done  in  stages^  canal  and  steam-boats,  whether  on 
business,  or  for  pleasure.  The  two  former  are 
absolutely  forbidden  in  the  commandment,  where  it 
is  said  that  cattle,  including  all  laboring  animals, 
shall  not  be  obliged  to  do  any  work.  In  using  them, 
therefore,  on  the  Sabbath,  except  to  go  where  a 
work  of  mercy  to  ourselves  or  others  calls  us,  is 
depriving  them  of  rights  which  God  has  given  them, 
and  directly  infringing  on  his  law. 

Those  proprietors  of  stages  who  are  every  Sab- 
bath driving  their  horses,  sinning  themselves  and 
helping  others  to  sin,  are  consequently  treasuring  up 
unto  themselves  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath, 
and  revelation  of  the  righteous  judgment  of  God. 
It  will  be  no  excuse  at  the  bar  of  God,  that  they 
have  been  doing  it  in  accommodation  to  a  sinful 
government,  or  to  the  wishes  of  others,  who  will  find 
their  own  pleasure.  We  are  never  at  liberty  to  be 
partakers  In  sin,  by  affording  it  any  encouragement. 
Government,  also,  is  directly  violating  the  moral 
N  2 


150  DUTIES    OF 

of  God,  by  authorizing  the  carrying  of  the  mail. 
This  is  manifestly  secular  business,  and  cannot  be 
pleaded  as  a  case  of  merciful  necessity,  nor  even 
proved  to  be  ultimately  expedient. 

And  those  who  travel  in  their  stages  on  the  day 
of  holy  rest,  under  any  pretences  other  than  such 
as  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  has  specified  as  valid, 
are  doing  their  own  ways,  and  pursuing  courses  of 
business  or  pleasure  interdicted  by  the  authority  of 
God.  The  very  fact  of  permitting  themselves  to  be' 
drawn  by  horses,  although  not  their  property,  is  a 
violation  of  the  letter  of  the  law.  These  animals 
are  in  their  employ,  as  much  as  if  they  had  ex- 
pressly hired  them  for  their  own  use ;  and  for  the 
time  being  must  be  viewed  as  their  animals,  in  the 
comprehensive  meaning  of  the  statute,  and  put  to 
labor  at  their  request,  or  to  serve  their  purposes. 

But  let  us  examine  some  of  the  more  plausible 
reasons  adduced  in  justification  of  such  travelling. 
Generally  they  who  are  disposed  to  excuse  them- 
selves for  travelling  when  on  the  way,  would  not 
hesitate  in  pronouncing  it  wrong  to  "  set  out "  on 
the  Sabbath.  Yet  I  have  heard  those  who  professed 
a  regard  for  God  and  his  law,  justify  themselves 
even  in  this,  by  saying,  that  "  they  had  long  been 
looking  for  company,  and  could  find  none  until  the 
Sabbath,  and  they  thought  it  best  to  embrace  the 
opportunity." 

It  is  manifest  in  this  case,  that  there  is  no  provi- 
dential call  of  mercy,  or  the  individuals  could  not 


THE    SABBATH.  151 

have  waited.  It  is  a  case,  therefore,  of  travelling 
on  business,  or  on  a  visit  of  pleasure,  either  to  or 
from  home. 

But  where  will  those  persons  discover  their  au- 
thority for  doing  their  own  ways,  or  finding  their 
own  pleasure  on  God's  holy  day,  because  they  hap- 
pen to  meet  with  company  just  at  that  time  ?  No- 
where. On  the  contrary,  neither  their  company, 
nor  themselves,  are  at  liberty  thus  to  violate  a  law 
of  God.  And  if  they  be  professors,  they  aggravate 
their  sin  by  exhibiting  before  the  passengers  an  ex- 
ample which  is  not  letting  their  light  shine,  but  put- 
ting it  under  a  bushel.  In  such  cases,  also,  it  will 
generally  be  found  that  there  was  not  that  diligent 
search  for  company  until  about  the  time  of  the  Sab- 
bath, which  would  have  evinced  a  regard  for  God's 
law,  nor  that  tenderness  of  conscience,  that  "  pain 
to  feel  sin  near,"  which  would  have  induced  them 
to  sacrifice  the  present  opportunity  of  doing  their 
pleasure,  and  depend  on  God  for  another,  rather 
than  violate  his  holy  and  good  commandment,  and 
waste  one  of  his  own  days  in  worse  than  idleness. 

The  more  formidable  excuses,  however,  are  those 
which  are  advanced  in  justification  of  continued 
travelling  when  on  a  journey. 

"  One  man  is  removing  witli  his  family  to  some 
distance,  and  is  under  the  necessity  of  proceeding 
as  economically  as  possible.  To  stop  every  Sab- 
bath would  be  more  than  he  could  well  afford."  If 
he  can  afford  to  journey  at  all,  he  can  afford  to  do 


15*3  DUTIES    OF 

it  without  violating  the  statutes  of  Heaven.  And  1 
have  yet  to  learn  that  it  is  the  more  ecortoroical 
course  to  offend  God.  Blessed  is  the  man  that  fear- 
eth  alway^  and  that  greatly  delighteth  in  the  com- 
mandments of  the  Lord.  Besides,  persons  in  these 
circumstances,  can  so  arrange  about  setting  off,  if 
thus  disposed,  as  to  make  it  convenient  to  be  on 
Saturday  evening,  at  a  suitable  place  for  spending 
the  Sabbath.  And  it  is  a  question  whether  they 
would  not  gain  time  in  the  end,  by  allowing  them- 
selves and  their  beasts  the  prescribed  rest. 

"Another  has  been  absent  from  his  family  for 
some  time,  and  thinks  it  best  to  hasten  home."  Let 
such  ask  themselves  whether  urgent  business  in  the 
city  would  not  have  detained  them  a  day  or  two, 
with  all  their  anxiety  to  see  home.  But  what  com- 
parison is  there  between  the  claims  of  business  and 
the  claims  of  God  ?  What  duty  or  what  interest  so 
urgent  as  the  duty  and  interest  of  obedience  to  Di- 
vine law  ?  The  path  of  obedience  is  the  path  of 
safety,  and  we  may  confidently  intrust  our  families 
to  the  care  of  God,  while  we  are  absent  in  the  per- 
formance of  duty. 

"  A  third  believes  he  can  sanctify  the  Sabbath  in 
travelling,  by  serious  meditations,  as  well  as  at 
home,  or  in  '  lying  by.' "  But  he  cannot.  If  the 
whole  day  were  occupied  in  religious  reflections,  he 
would  not  be  sanctifying  the  Sabbath.  He  would 
sanctify  his  heart,  or  his  thoughts,  but  not  the  day. 
Jts  sanctification  does  not  consist  wholly  in  cultiva- 


THE    SABBATH.  153 

ting  heavenly  feelings,  and  cherishing  spiritual 
thoughts.  These  we  may  have  on  other  days,  and 
on  some  particular  day  may  devote  the  whole  of  our 
time  to  pious  reflections,  and  yet  this  would  not  con- 
stitute that  day  the  Sabbath.  We  must  not  employ 
our  beasts,  must  abstain  from  the  occupation  of  the 
rest  of  the  week,  and  distinguish  the  day  from  al! 
others  by  its  own  peculiarities,  or  we  do  not  sanc- 
tify it,  however  pious  our  meditations  in  travelling. 
But  it  will  generally  be  found  that  there  is  little  of 
meditation  by  ihose  who  profane  God's  day.  And 
if  an  occupancy  in  serious  thoughts  on  the  Sabbath 
while  travelling,  is  sufficient  to  wipe  away  all  the 
sin,  then  the  seamstress  may  sit  at  her  working 
table,  and  the  farmer  may  follow  his  plough,  and 
yet  not  violate  the  holy  rest. 

"  A  fourth  thinks  it  better,  since  he  is  on  his  way, 
to  pass  on  quietly,  and  not  attract  notice  by  leaving 
his  fellow  passengers."  But  w^hat  reason  has  he 
for  thinking  it  better  1  It  cannot  be  better  for  him- 
self; for  in  a  stage  he  can  have  few  pious  thoughts, 
and  if  he  have  any  tenderness  of  conscience,  his 
soul  will  be  harrowed  up  within  him.  It  cannot  be 
better  for  his  companions.  They  might  have  been 
summoned  to  consideration  by  the  singular  fact  of 
his  interrupting  his  journey  out  of  regard  for  God ; 
but  now  they  are  encouraged  in  sin  by  his  example, 
and  would  place  little  value  on  anything  of  a  reli- 
gious nature  which  he  might  be  disposed  to  say. 
There   is  at  the  bottom  of  this,  however,  a  light 


154  DUTIES    OF 

estimation  of  God's  law,  and  a  sinful  shame  of 
being  thought  a  strict  Christian,  or  enduring  ridicule 
because  of  it. 

"A  fifth  is  on  Saturday  night  within  a  half  day's 
journey  of  home,  and  therefore  concludes  he  will 
be  justified  in  proceeding  and  being  with  his  family 
and  friends  the  remainder  of  the  Sabbath." 

On  this  excuse  I  remark,  that  the  individual 
making  it,  might  so  have  arranged  the  time  of  his 
departure  on  his  homeward  journey,  as  to  arrive 
there  on  Saturday ;  or  by  delaying  a  day,  he  might 
have  rid  himself  of  the  conscience-hushing  apology, 
by  throwing  a  day  and  an  half  between  him  and 
home,  which  would  have  removed  all  the  point  of 
the  temptation. 

And  there  are  other  reasons  which  neutralize  this 
excuse.  His  return  will  interfere  with  the  quiet  de- 
votions of  his  family,  and  prevent  their  enjoyment 
of  the  day  as  a  Sabbath,  by  presenting  unsuitable 
.-subjects  of  conversation.  Another,  also,  would  have 
as  much  right  to  determine  that  tlwee  fourths  of  the 
day  might  be  thus  spent,  as  he  to  fix  it  at  one  half. 
Neither  of  them  having  a  right  to  dispose  of  an  hour 
of  it  otherwise  than  as  God  has  ordained. 

"  A  sixth,  and  the  only  other  I  shall  notice,  con- 
siders himself  indisputably  entitled  to  proceed,  if  he 
happen,  on  Saturday  night,  to  stop  in  a  place  where 
theje  is  no  public  worship,  and  at  a  house  in  which 
there  is  much  noise  and  confusion." 

Persons  travelling  generally  know  where  they  are 


THE    SABBATH.  155 

going,  and  are  somewhat  acquainted  with  towns  and 
taverns  on  the  road.  If  they  were  desirous,  there- 
fore, of  avoiding  a  breach  of  the  Sabbath,  they  could 
make  it  extremely  convenient  to  be  at  certain  places 
on  the  Lord's  day,  where  the  privileges  of  the 
sanctuary  would  be  afforded  them.  But  the  suppo- 
sition is,  that  there  is  no  public  worship  in  the  place. 
What  then  ?  Why,  if  there  be  any  near,  go  to  it : 
if  not,  you  are  in  the  situation  of  the  sick  man,  who 
is  providentially  placed  in  circumstances  which 
prevent  an  attendance  at  the  house  of  God.  Neither 
he  nor  you  is  required  to  attend  as  you  are  situated. 
Yet  is  neither  of  you  exempt  from  the  other  duties 
of  the  day,  resting  from  business,  and  engaging  in 
private  devotional  exercises. 

But  the  house  is  so  noisy,  you  think  you  will  be 
better  employed  in  travelling  than  tarrying.  You 
cannot  be.  In  the  one  case  you  are  regarding  God 
and  his  law;  in  the  other,  violating  it.  And  which 
is  likely  to  be  the  more  profitable,  under  the  ad- 
ministration and  over-ruling  providence  of  Him  who 
has  the  hearts  of  all  in  his  own  hands  1 

If  you  make  the  experiment,  you  may  find  more 
quiet  and  enjoyment  in  a  private  chamber  or  in  the 
solitary  woods,  than  you  could  have  anticipated. 
God  will  bless  and  favor  those  who  conscientiously 
serve  him. 

Moreover,  these  are  the  very  circumstances  re 
quiring  you  to  let  your  light  shine,  and  act  decidedlv 
for  your  Master.     Your  lot  is  providentially  cas 


156  DUTIES    OF 

here  for  the  dav,  that  your  holy  example  may 
enlighten  and  warn  the  sinners.  If  you  are  a  pious 
man,  you  might  even  induce  them  to  assemble  for 
prayer,  and  read  to  them  some  solemn  tract,  which 
you  happen  to  have  along  with  you,  and  by  this 
means  lead  an  immortal  soul  to  heaven,  and  praise 
God  to  all  eternity  that  you  had  resolution  enougli 
to  obey  his  law,  and  keep  his  Sabbath. 

Thus  all  the  excuses  of  men  will  fall  before  a 
conscientious  and  fair  interpretation  of  scriptural 
law.  And  let  not  the  non-professor  imagine  himself 
free  from  obligation,  simply  because  he  does  not 
acknowledge  it,  or  profess  to  obey  the  law.  On  the 
same  principle  he  might  exempt  himself  from  the 
first,  third,  sixth,  and  all  the  commandments  of  the 
moral  law. 

After  this  minute  examination  of  the  excuses 
which  are  offered  in  justification  of  one  of  the  com- 
mon breaches  of  the  Sabbath,  it  will  only  be  neces- 
sary briefly  to  advert  to  some  other  courses  of 
conduct,  which  plead  exemption  from  the  law,  but 
equally  fall  under  its  prohibitory  clause.- 

The  transportation  of  merchandise  in  wagons  and 
canal-boats  is  certainly  impliedly  forbidden  in  the 
words  of  the  law  itself,  for  both  require  the  labor  o' 
animals,  and  clearly,  in  divinely  authorized  inter- 
pretations of  it,  written  in  Neh.  13:15.17,18.  "  In 
those  days  I  saw  in  Judah  some  treading  wine 
presses  on  the  Sabbath,  and  bringing  in  sheaves,  and 
lading  asses ;  as  also  wine,  grapes,  and  figs,  and  all 


THE    SABBATH.  157 

manner  of  burdens,  which  they  brought  into  Terusn. 
lem  on  the  Sabbath  day  : . . .  Then  I  contended  with 
the  nobles  of  Judah,  and  said  unto  them,  What  evil 
thing  is  this  that  ye  do,  and  profane  the  Sabbath- 
day  1  Did  not  your  fathers  thus,  and  did  not  our  God 
bring  all  this  evil  upon  us,  and  upon  this  city  ?  yet 
ye  bring  more  wrath  upon  Israel  by  profaning  the 
Sabbath."  And  Jeremiah  17:20—22.  "  Hear  ye 
i,he  word  of  the  Lord,  ye  kings  of  Judah,  and  all 
Judah,  and  all  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  that 
enter  in  by  these  gates.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Take 
heed  to  yourselves,  and  bear  no  burden  on  the  Sab- 
bath-day, nor  bring  it  in  by  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  : 
neither  carry  forth  a  burden  out  of  your  houses  on 
the  Sabbath-day,  neither  do  ye  any  work,  but  hallow 
ye  the  Sabbath-day,  as  I  commanded  your  fathers." 
And  here  let  me  remark,  that  merchants  ought  to 
inquire  whether  they  do  not  partake  in  the  sin  of 
wagoner>s,  by  employing  such  as  drive  on  Sabbath  ; 
whether  it  would  not  be  their  duty  to  procure  such 
as  do  not,  or  even  add  a  small  compensation  for  the 
delay  of  one  or  two  days.  I  believe,  however,  that 
the  rest  of  the  Sabbath  would  so  much  invigorate 
the  team,  as  to  enable  them  to  draw  three  miles 
farther  a-day,  and  thus  at  the  end  of  the  week  be  as 
far  advanced  as  if  they  had  proceeded  uninterrupt- 
edly. At  least  I  have  known  those  who  proceeded 
on  this  plan,  and  professed  that  they  lost  nothin^r 
by  it.* 
*  I  am  happy  to  learn  that  the  company  about  to  open  a  line  ot 

o 


153  DUTIES    OP 

Attending  on  sugar-camps  is  also  a  direct  in- 
fringement on  holy  time,  although  some  pretend  to 
justify  it,  especially  if  the  first  "  fine  day"  should 
come  on  Sabbath.  They  seem  to  think  it  will  be 
sinful  to  let  it  waste,  as  God  has  bountifully  provi- 
ded it.  But  God  has  not  bestowed  blessings  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  interfere  with  the  sanctity  of  his 
own  day.  If  provision  cannot  be  made  on  Satur- 
day for  receiving  the  juice  which  may  flow  out  on 
the  Sabbath,  then  let  it  be  lost.  Our  heavenly 
Father  never  intended  that  his  goodness  should  be 
made  an  occasion  of  interfering  with  the  welfare  of 
our  souls. 

Gathering  in  a  harvest  on  the  Lord's  day,  in  all 
ordinary  cases,  is  pretty  generally  considered  sinful, 
yet  there  are  many  who  justify  it  in  certain  extraor- 
dinary circumstances.  For  my  own  part  I  know  of 
no  instance  in  which,  with  my  Bible  in  my  hand,  I 
can  look  upon  it  as  permitted  by  the  law  of  the 
Sabbath.  God  has  said,  Exod.  34:21,  "  In  earing 
time  and  in  harvest  thou  slialt  rest,^''  and  who  could 
rightfully  infer,  if  a  pleasant  day  came  on  Sabbath 
after  a  protracted  rain  in  which  grain  or  hay  had 
been  exposed,  that  this  was  a  permissive  grant  frorp 
heaven  to  spend  the  day  in  securing  it  in  the  barn 
or  stack  1  The  following  day  may  be  wet  again,  and 
the  harvest  lost ;  and  if  so,  it  is  to  be  contemplated 

\\a.gon%iot  speedy  conveyance  of  merchandise  between  Baltimore 
and  Wheeling,  have  resolved  not  to  employ  their  teams  on  the 
Sabbath.    May  God  prosper  them  I  Professors  now  have  no  excuse 


THE    SABBATH.  159 

as  an  afflictive  dispensation  of  Providence  calling 
for  penitence  of  soul.  But  it  may  be  clear  and  fine 
also,  and  then  the  grain  and  hay  will  both  be  im- 
proved by  remaining  out.  This  also  would  be  the 
more  probable  result  to  conscientious  observers  of 
God's  law.  If,  however,  the  contrary  occur,  they 
have  the  consolation  of  knowing  that  their  loss  can 
be  more  than  compensated. 

I  have  also  always  doubted  whether  iron-masters 
can  justify  themselves  in  keeping  their  furnaces  in 
blast  on  the  Sabbath.  There  can  be  no  doubt  of 
the  impropriety  of  setting  it  on  blast  on  that  day ; 
for  we  are  forbidden  the  "  kindling  of  fires ;"  all 
such  as  are  not  required  for  the  supply  of  necessary 
warmth  and  food. 

And  on  what  principle  is  it  contended  that  they 
must  be  kept  in  blast  on  the  Sabbath  ?  Merely  be- 
cause it  would  be  inconvenient  to  suspend  operations, 
and  would  occasion  some  loss  of  money,  or  rather 
a  less  rapid  accumulation  of  it.  In  short,  they 
would  not  quite  so  soon,  nor  realize  quite  so  large  a 
profit.  But  what  merchant  might  not,  on  the  same 
orinciple,  open  his  shop  ?  What  farmer  might  not 
proceed  to  gather  in  all  his  crop  without  any  cessa- 
tion on  the  Sabbath?  What  wagoner  might  not 
justify  himself  in  harnessing  and  driving  ?  And  what 
government  might  not  defend  itself  in  transporting 
its  mails  ?  And  I  have  thought  if  furnaces  must  be 
in  operation  on  this  day,  the  seventh  part  of  the 


160  DUTIES    OF 

profit  of  each  weekly  blast,  should  be  sacred  to  thf 
Lord,  as  acquired  on  his  day. 

But  some  may  now  be  ready  to  ask,  has  not  the 
(Saviour  modified  the  strictness  of  the  law,  and  low- 
ered down  the  standard  of  duly  in  reference  to  the 
Sabbath  ?  From  his  own  declaration  we  should  con- 
clude not.  I  came,  he  says,  not  to  destroy  or  sub- 
vert the  law,  the  moral  law,  as  is  apparent  from  his 
specifications,  but  to  ratify  or  confirm  it. 

Let  us  examine  his  practice.  His  custom  was  to 
go  to  the  synagogue  to  worship ;  and  in  the  numer- 
ous  opportunities  afforded  him,  we  never  find  him 
announcing  either  a  repeal  or  modification  of  the 
original  law.  He  did  indeed  strip  it  of  Pharisaical 
glosses,  and  assert  his  capability,  as  Lord  of  the 
Sabbath,  of  defining  its  intentions,  and  understand- 
ing its  provisions.  He  felt  himself  at  liberty,  under 
those  provisions,  to  perform  works  of  mercy.  He 
healed  the  woman  afflicted  for  eighteen  years,  the 
man  whose  hand  was  withered,  and  justified  men  in 
leading  out  to  water  their  cattle,  in  deKvering  an 
animal  from  distress,  and  his  disciples  in  rubbing  a 
little  grain  between  their  hands  to  satisfy  hunger, 
as  they  were  passing  through  the  field  to  the  syna- 
goorue. 

The  Pharisees,  on  the  occasion  of  his  healing, 
appealed  to  the  prohibition  of  the  law,  as  rendering 
it  unlawful.  He  did  not  diminish  its  extent  in  the 
least  by  justifying  works  of  every  kind,  but  inter- 


THE    SABBATH.  ]  61 

p'Tted  the  law  as  excepting  labors  of  mercy  or  com- 
passion. 

It  is  thought,  however,  that  the  conduct  of  the 
disciples  in  plucking  the  ears  of  corn,  approved  by 
their  Master,  in  connexion  with  his  declaration  that 
the  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  is  a  sufficient  indi- 
cation that  its  requisitions  are  relaxed.  But  if  so, 
it  is  certainly  not  very  manifest.  On  what  ground 
were  the  disciples  justified  ?  Was  it  not  because  they 
were  then  hungry,  and  their  bodies  needed  suste- 
nance ?  Look  at  the  context.  There  is  an  appeal 
to  the  case  of  David  supplying  his  wants  with  the 
shew-bread  of  the  temple,  and  also  to  the  law  of 
God's  kingdom,  that  he  prefers  mercy  to  sacrifice. 
But  what  bearing  has  this  on  the  subject,  if  the  Sa- 
viour were  not  justifying  them  as  performing  an  act 
of  mercy  called  for  by  their  straitened  circumstan- 
ces, and  intended  to  relieve  present  necessities  1  And 
what  extensive  privileges  are  contained  in  the  asser- 
tion that  the  Sabbath  was  made  for  man  ?  Does  it 
imply  that  it  was  given  him  as  a  day  on  which  he 
would  be  permitted  to  act  out  the  depravity  of  his 
heart,  and  be  set  free  from  all  law  ?  Does  it  mean 
that  he  was  at  liberty  on  that  day  to  pursue  his 
calling  ?  Then  there  is  no  peculiarity  about  it,  and 
it  is  no  more  made  specially  for  man  than  any 
other  day. 

But  mark  the  expression.  The  Sabbath  was 
made  for  man.  It  was  instituted  for  him  as  a  Sab- 
hath.  But  a  Sabbath  is  a  day  of  rest  from  secular 
02 


162  DUTIES    OF 

eiifiployment.  The  rest  of  the  Sabbath  is  still  there 
fore  obligatory  on  man,  made  for  his  benefit,  and 
allowing  of  any  work  which  present  hunger  or  af- 
fliction demands. 

On  the  Sabbath,  then,  we  may  heal  the  sick,  ad- 
minister to  their  wants,  relieve  the  distressed,  regard 
the  comfort  of  our  animals,  and  perform  any  act  of 
compassion  which  our  own  or  our  neighbor's  present 
circumstances  may  require.  Beyond  this  we  may 
not  go  on  the  authority  of  Christ,  or  the  language 
of  the  original  law. 

But  none  of  the  cases  of  violation  specified  fall 
under  this  rule,  and  are  therefore  condemned  by  the 
morality  of  the  Bible. 

II.  The  second  branch  of  the  subject  is  comprised 
in  devotion  to  religious  services. 

These  embrace  all  the  public  and  private  duties 
of  religion. 

The  Lord  loves  the  gates  of  Zion.  He  delights 
10  have  all  the  people  praise  him,  and  lift  up  their 
hands  in  the  sanctuary  to  bless  the  Lord.  And  it 
is  comely  to  appear  before  his  presence  with  thanks- 
giving, and  make  a  joyful  noise  unto  him  with 
psalms — to  worship  and  bow  down ;  to  kneel  before 
the  Lord  our  Maker.  For  he  is  our  God ;  and  we 
are  the  people  of  his  pasture.  Thus  did  his  people 
of  old  open  the  gates  of  righteousness,  bring  an 
oflTering,  and  come  into  the  courts  of  the  Lord's 
house.  Thus  they  found  it  sweet  to  unite  in  sing, 
mg  the  high  praises  of  God,  in  adoration  of  his 


THE    SABBATH.  103 

glorious  perfections,  and  contemplations  on  his  word 
and  works.  The  apostles  and  primitive  Christians 
also,  esteemed  a  day  in  the  courts  of  the  Lord  better 
than  a  thousand  On  the  Sabbath  they  were  wont 
to  be  together,  with  one  accord  in  one  place,  for  the 
purpose  of  public  worship. 

And  it  becomes  those  of  the  present  day,  who 
would  remember  the  Sabbath,  to  imitate  their  exam- 
ple, and  assemble  in  the  different  churches  with  the 
design  of  humbling  themselves  with  thankful  ac- 
knowledgment of  his  m'^rcies,  supplicating  his  fa- 
vor, hearing  his  word,  and  magnifying  his  great 
name,  made  known  in  the  works  of  creation  and 
redemption. 

The  private  duties  of  religion,  also,  must  on  that 
day  claim  a  special  attention.  On  other  days  we 
are  to  recognize  God  in  our  families,  and  worship 
him  in  the  closet ;  but  much  of  our  time  is  neces- 
sarily occupied  in  the  secular  business  of  life.  On 
the  Sabbath  this  is  to  yield  to  a  more  entire  devotion 
to  God  in  the  duties  of  meditation,  reading  of  the 
Bible  and  pious  works,  spiritual  conversation,  deep 
searching  of  heart,  and  prayer.  In  all  these  servi- 
ces the  heart  must  be  engaged :  for  God  abhors  the 
sacrifice 

"  Where  not  the  heart  is  found." 

I  have  thus  attempted  briefly  to  interpret  the  law 
of  the  Sabbath,  and  point  out  its  negative  and  posi- 


104  DUTIES    OF 

live  duties,  and  shall  in  conclusion  endeavor  to  im- 
press them  on  my  readers. 

And  on  this  subject  I  cannot  refrain  from  calling 
upon  all  ministers  of  the  gospel,  a^l  Christians,  all 
parents,  all  magistrates  and  office-bearers,  and  all 
patriots,  to  come  up  to  the  help  of  the  Lord,  to  the 
help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty. 

Let  ministers  of  the  gospel  preach  and  enlighten 
the  public  mind — let  Christians  walk  in  the  statutes 
of  the  Lord  blameless,  holding  back  their  foot  from 
polluting  the  Sabbath,  and  counting  it  holy  and 
honorable — let  parents,  by  precept  and  example,  in- 
culcate on  the  minds  of  children  and  domestics  cor- 
rect views  of  the  sanctity  of  the  day — let  men  in 
office  feel  the  weight  of  their  influence,  and  exert  it 
wliolly  in  favor  of  its  sanctification — and  let  patriots 
evince  their  patriotism  by  upholding  the  institutions 
of  that  God  who  is  governor  of  the  nations,  and 
under  whose  administration  righteousness  only  will 
exalt,  while  sin  will  be  the  reproach  of  any  people. 

We  have  put  forth  a  united  effort,  have  stemmed 
the  torrent  of  intemperance,  and  almost  prevailed  to 
roll  back  its  waters  of  death.  But  we  have  another 
flood  of  dark  and  desolating  waters  heaving  its  bil- 
lows over  our  land;  and  soon  will  it  have  overtopped 
the  highest  mountains  of  our  political  continent,  and 
left  not  a  spot  for  the  ark  of  liberty  to  rest  upon, 
unless  some  mighty  energy  be  exerted  to  control  its 
power.  The  desecration  of  the  Sabbath  is  a  sin  foi 
which  this  land  should  clothe  itself  in  sackcloth  and 


THE    SABBATH.  165 

ashes,  in  voluntary  and  deep  humility,  lest  Gcd  strip 
her  utterly  of  her  beautiful  garments,  and  send  her 
out  naked  and  forlorn,  to  weep  over  her  folly  in 
despising  his  commandments. 

Let  me  entreat  the  young,  then,  and  especially 
the  youth  of  our  colleges,  to  cultivate  proper  senti- 
ments of  respect  for  the  day  of  God.  Let  thorn 
become  advocates  of  its  sanctity,  friends  of  its  sa- 
cred observance,  and  resolute  champions  of  its  claims 
to  regard  as  an  institution  of  Jehovah.  Thus  will 
they  bless  themselves,  and  their  country,  and  be 
honored  as  its  true  benefactors,  and  brightest  orna- 
ments. And  when  the  laurels  which  encircle  the 
brow  of  the  military  chieftain  or  political  aspirant 
shall  have  withered  away,  theirs  will  still  be  green 
and  beautiful,  and  their  memory  dear  to  the  latest 
posterity. 

And  may  I  not  ask  the  students  of  Washington 
College,  wherever  they  go,  and  whatever  stations 
they  fill,  to  associate  with  the  name  of  their  Alma- 
Mater,  the  admirable  sentiments  of  the  Father  of 
their  country,  already  quoted,  and  to  secure  nation- 
al morality  by  the  pervasion  of  religious  principle, 
ever  maintain  and  encourage  a  strict  regard  for 
the  Lord's-day,  as  the  only  effectual  means  of  dif- 
fusing it. 

And  that  you  may  not  want  motives  derived  from 
the  word  of  God  itself,  treasure  up  in  your  memory 
some  of  the  promises  which  God  has  annexed  to  an 


166  DUTIES    OF 

observance  of  his  holy  Sabbath,  and  some  of  the 
denunciations  which  impend  its  desecration. 

Of  the  latter,  I  select  for  you,  Neh.  13:17,18: 
"  Then  I  contended  with  the  nobles  of  Judah,  and 
said  unto  them.  What  evil  thing  is  this  that  ye  do, 
and  profane  the  Sabbath-day  1  Did  not  your  fathers 
thus,  and  did  not  our  God  bring  all  this  evil  upon 
us,  and  upon  this  city?  yet  ye  bring  more  wrath 
upon  Israel  by  profaning  the  Sabbath." — Jer.  17:27  : 
"  But  if  you  will  not  hearken  unto  me  to  hallow  the 
Sabbath-day,  and  not  to  bear  a  burden,  even  enter- 
ing in  at  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  on  the  Sabbath-day  ; 
then  will  I  kindle  a  fire  in  the  gates  thereof,  and  it 
shall  devour  the  palaces  of  Jerusalem,  and  it  shall 
not  be  quenched."— Lev.  26:34,35:  "Then  shall 
the  land  enjoy  her  Sabbath,  as  long  as  it  lieth  deso- 
late, and  ye  be  in  your  enemies'  land ;  even  then 
shall  the  land  rest,  and  enjoy  her  Sabbaths.  As 
long  as  it  lieth  desolate  it  shall  rest ;  because  it  did 
not  rest  in  your  Sabbaths,  when  ye  dwelt  upon  it." 
Of  the  former,  Isa.  56:4 — 7  :  "  For  thus  saith  the 
Lord  unto  the  eunuchs  that  keep  my  Sabbaths,  and 
choose  the  things  that  please  me,  and  take  hold  of 
my  covenant.  Even  unto  them  will  I  give  in  my 
house,  and  within  my  walls,  a  place  and  a  name 
better  than  of  sons  and  of  daughters :  I  will  give 
them  an  everlasting  name,  that  shall  not  be  cut  off. 
Also  the  sons  of  the  stranger  that  join  themselves 
to  the  Lord,  to  serve  him,  and  to  love  the  name  of 
the  Lord,  to  be  his  servants,  every  one  that  keepeth 


THE    SABBATH.  167 

the  Sabbath  from  polluting  it,  and  taketh  hold  of 
my  covenant.  Even  them  will  I  bring  to  my  holy 
mountain,  and  make  them  joyful  in  my  house  of 
prayer ;  their  burnt-offerings  and  their  sacrifices 
shall  be  accepted  upon  mine  altar  :  for  my  house 
shall  be  called  a  house  of  prayer  for  all  people." — 
Tsa.  58:13,14:  "  If  thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from 
the  Sabbath,  from  doing  thy  pleasure  on  my  holy 
day ;  and  call  the  Sabbath  a  Delight,  the  Holy  of 
the  Lord,  Honorable ;  and  shalt  honor  him,  not  do- 
ing thine  own  ways,  nor  finding  thine  own  pleasure, 
nor  speaking  thine  own  words :  Then  shalt  thou 
delight  thyself  in  the  Lord ;  and  I  will  cause  thee 
to  ride  upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth,  and  feed 
thee  with  the  heritage  of  Jacob  thy  father  :  for  the 
mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it." — Jer.  17:24,25  : 
"  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  ye  diligently  hearken 
unto  me,  saith  the  Lord,  to  bring  in  no  burden 
through  the  gates  of  this  city  on  the  Sabbath-day, 
but  hallow  the  Sabbath-day,  to  do  no  work  therein ; 
Then  shall  there  enter  into  the  gates  of  this  city 
kings  and  princes  sitting  upon  the  throne  of  David, 
riding  in  chariots  and  on  horses,  they,  and  their 
princes,  the  men  of  Judah,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
Jerusalem  ;  and  this  city  shall  remain  for  ever." 

May  God  add  his  blessing  !     Amen. 


APPENDIX. 

Extracts  from  a  Report  of  a  Committee  of  the 
British  House  of  Commons  on  the  observance  of 
the  Sabbatk»  Sir  Andrew  Agnew,  Bart.,  in 
the  Chair, 

Your  Committee  have  approached  the  subject  com- 
mitted to  their  investigation,  impressed  with  a  deep 
sense,  not  only  of  its  importance,  but  also  of  the 
difficulties  which  are  generally  supposed  to  attend  it. 
The  weight  of  the  evidence  presented  to  them  has, 
nevertheless,  led  them  to  concur  in  recommending 
an  amendment  of  the  law  as  both  indispensable  and 
practicable.  The  letter,  no  less  than  the  spirit  of 
English  Legislation,  since  the  Reformation,  in  rela- 
tion to  the  observance  of  the  Lord's-day,  has  uni- 
formly been  directed  against  all  desecrations  of  it 
by  the  exercise  of  any  worldly  labor,  business,  or 
"  ordinary  calling,"  on  that  day,  as  will  be  seen  by 
referring  to  the  abstract  of  the  laws  contained  in 
the  Appendix :  but  whilst  the  tenor  of  the  laws  has 
been  favorable  to  the  maintenance  of  this  most  im- 
portant institution  of  the  Christian  religion,  the  more 
or  less  decorous  observance  of  which  may  be  con- 
sidered, at  any  given  time,  to  afford  the  safest  test 
of  the  greater  or  less  degree  of  moral  and  religious 
feeling  pervading  the  community,  it  is  much  to  be 
deplored  that,  owing  in  a  great  measure  to  the  diffi- 
culties attending  a  due  enforcement  of  its  provisions, 
the  absence  of  adequate  penalties,  and  the  defective 
mode  prescribed  for  recovering  them,  but  oicing  still 
mo?'e  to  the  lax  spirit  of  the  age,  in  reference  to  re- 
ligious  obligation,  the  law  itself  is  found  to  be  prac 
P 


170  APPENDIX. 

tically  insvfficient  to  secure  the  objects  for  which 
it  professes  to  provide. 

Your  Committee,  however,  whilst  thus  recom- 
mending an  emendation  of  the  law,  as  necessary  to 
put  down  gross  desecration  of  the  Lord's-day,  and 
to  enable  all  classes  to  avail  themselves  of  its  privi- 
leges, avow  that,  in  anticipating  an  improved  ob- 
servance of  it  as  the  result  of  more  efficient  laws, 
they  rely  chief  y  on  the  moral  support  which  these 
would  receive,  as  well  from  the  higher  authorities 
of  the  Church,  its  Clergy,  and  Ministers  of  all  de- 
nominations, cis from  the  example  of  the  upper  class- 
es, the  magistracy,  and  all  respectable  heads  of 
families  ;  and  it  may  be  added,  from  the  increasing 
conviction  of  all  classes,  derived  from  experience, 
of  the  value  of  the  Day  of  Rest  to  themselves. 

In  recommending  a  general  revision  and  amend- 
ment of  the  laws  for  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath, 
it  should  be  observed,  that  Sunday  labor  is  general- 
ly looked  upon  as  a  degradation ;  and  it  appears  in 
evidence,  that  in  each  trade,  in  proportion  to  its  dis- 
regard of  the  Lord^s-day,  is  the  immorality  of  those 
engaged  in  it. 

The  objects  to  be  attained  by  the  legislation  may 
be  considered  to  be,  first,  a  solemn  and  decent  out- 
ward observance  of  the  Lord's-day,  as  that  portion 
of  the  week  which  is  set  apart  by  Divine  command 
for  public  worship ;  and  next,  the  securing  to  every 
member  of  the  community  without  an  exception 
and  however  low  his  station,  the  uninterrupted  en 
joyment  of  that  day  of  rest  which  has  been  in  mer- 
cy  provided  for  him,  and  the  privilege  of  employmg 
rt,  as  well  in  the  sacred  exercises  for  which  it  was 
ordained,  as  in  the  bodily  relaxation  which  is  neces- 


APPENDIX.  171 

sary  for  his  well-being,  and  which,  though  a  second- 
ary end,  is  nevertheless  also  of  high  importance. 

THE    SABBATH    IN    SCOTLAND. 

It  appears  to  be  sufficiently  established,  that  for  a 
long  period  the  laws  were  very  strictly  administer- 
ed ;  and  that,  in  conjunction  with  the  advancement 
of  religious  knowledge,  the  strict  observance  of  the 
Sabbath  proved  the  means  of  forming  and  cherish- 
ing those  devout  habits  to  ichich  have  been  traced 
the  characteristic  •prudence,  industry,  and  general 
correctness  of  morals  long  prevalent  among  that 
people. 

One  of  the  most  important  circumstances  which 
till  lately  distinguished  the  Sabbath  in  Scotland  was, 
that  the  entire  day  was  generally  regarded  as 
equally  sacred.  The  distinction  between  "church 
hours"  and  the  other  hours  of  the  day,  seems  not  to 
have  been  made,  except  perhaps  in  country  towns 
and  villages,  where,  during  the  interval  of  public 
worship,  or  after  the  close  of  the  service,  refresh- 
ments might  be  obtained  by  persons  coming  from  a 
distance  to  the  church.  The  old  laws  of  Scotland, 
therefore,  apply  to  the  whole  of  the  Sabbath,  though 
it  was  held  to  be  an  aggravation  of  any  offence,  that 
it  was  committed  during  the  hours  of  public  worship. 


Your  Committee  report  with  pleasure  the  assur- 
ance given  in  evidence,  that  the  decorous  observance 
of  Sunday  has  been,  and  is  increasing  among  the 
higher  classes ;  nevertheless,  they  would  consider 
the  Report  imperfect,  did  they  not  express  their 
anxious  solicitude  that  those  who  are  elevated  in 
society  should  seriously  consider  how  important  it 
is  that  the  Lord's-day  should  be  duly  reverenced  on 


172  APPENDIX. 

their  part,  and  that  they  should  all  evince,  by  a 
consistent  example,  that  they  are  disposed  to  "  re- 
member the  Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy,"  from 
respect  not  only  to  human  enactments,  but  to  the 
authority  of  Him  by  whom  the  day  has  been  set 
apart  for  the  wisest  and  most  beneficial  purposes. 
Such  conduct  must  eminently  conduce,  as  it  has  ever 
done,  not  only  to  their  own  highest  interests,  as 
affording  them  a  day  of  rest  and  retirement,  but  to 
the  welfare  of  their  families  and  dependants ;  thus 
transmitting  their  good  example  through  all  the 
various  grades  of  society,  and  thereby  strengthening 
the  hands  of  the  magistracy  in  their  efforts  to  uphold 
the  laws. 

It  will  be  seen  strongly  stated  in  evidence,  that 
innumerable  unhappy  individuals,  who  have  forfeited 
their  lives  to  the  offended  laws  of  their  country, 
have  confessed  that  their  career  in  vice  commenced 
with  Sabbath  breaking,  and  neglect  of  religious 
ordinances. 

Your  Committee  feel  assured  that  an  increase  of 
true  religion  must  also  follow  an  amendment  of  the 
laws,  inasmuch  as  many  persons  thus  favored  with 
an  entire  day  of  rest,  would  be  led  to  employ  it  for 
reHgious  purposes ;  and  that  a  great  accession  would 
accrue  to  the  strength  and  prosperity  of  the  State 
itself,  arising  out  of  the  improved  tone  of  morals 
which  a  due  observance  of  the  Sabbath  day  invaria- 
bly produces.  And  there  are,  moreover,  abundant 
grounds  both  in  the  Word  of  God  and  in  the  history 
of  past  ages,  to  expect  that  his  blessing  and  favoi 
would  accompany  such  an  endeavor  to  promote  the 
honor  due  to  His  holy  Name  and  commandment. 


APPENDIX.  173 

Extracts  from  the  Testimony  of  Dr.  Fares,  a  Physician  of  great 
eminence,  and  of  forty  years'  study  and  practice. 

I  have  been  in  the  habit  during  a  great  many 
years  of  considering  the  uses  of  the  Sabbath,  and 
of  observing  its  abuses.  The  abuses  are  chiefly 
manifested  in  labor  and  dissipation.  The  use,  medi- 
cally speaking,  is  that  of  a  day  of  rest.  In  a 
theological  sense,  it  is  a  holy  rest,  providing  for  the 
introduction  of  new  and  sublimer  ideas  into  the 
mind  of  man,  preparing  him  for  his  future  state. 
As  a  da»y  of  rest,  I  view  it  as  a  day  of  compensation 
for  the  inadequate  restorative  power  of  the  body 
under  continued  labor  and  excitement.  A  physician 
always  has  respect  to  the  preservation  of  the  restora- 
tive power,  because  if  once  this  be  lost,  his  healing 
ofRce  is  at  an  end.  If  I  show  you,  from  the  phy- 
siological view  of  the  question,  that  there  are  provi- 
sions in  the  laws  of  nature  which  correspond  with 
the  Divine  commandment,  you  will  see  from  the 
analoffv,  that  "  the  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,"  as 
a  necessary  appointment.  A  physician  is  anxious 
to  preserve  the  balance  of  circulation,  as  necessary 
to  the  restorative  power  of  the  body.  The  ordinary 
exertions  of  man  run  down  the  circulation  every 
day  of  his  life ;  and  the  first  general  law  of  nature 
by  which  God  (who  is  not  only  the  giver,  but  also 
the  preserver  and  sustainer  of  life)  prevents  man 
from  destroying  himself,  is  the  alternating  of  day 
with  night,  that  repose  may  succeed  action.  But 
although  the  night  apparently  equalizes  the  cir- 
culation well,  yet  it  does  not  sufficiently  restore  its 
balance  for  the  attainment  of  a  lojig  life.  Hence 
one  day  in  seven,  by  the  bounty  of  Providence,  is 
thrown  in  as  a  day  of  compensation,  to  perfect  by 
its  repose  the  animal  system.  You  may  easily  do» 
P  2 


174  APPENDIX. 

termine  this  question  as  a  matter  of  fact  by  trying  it 
on  beasts  of  burden.  Take  that  fine  animal,  the 
horse,  and  work  him  to  the  full  extent  of  his  powers 
every  day  in  the  week,  or  give  him  rest  one  day  in 
seven,  and  you  will  soon  perceive,  by  the  superior 
vigor  with  which  he  performs  his  functions  on  the 
other  six  days,  that  this  rest  is  necessary  to  his  well- 
being.  Man,  possessing  a  superior  nature,  is  borne 
along  by  the  very  vigor  of  his  mind,  so  that  the 
injury  of  continued  diurnal  exertion  and  excitement 
on  his  animal  system  is  not  so  immediately  apparent 
as  in  the  brute ;  but  in  the  long  run  he  breaks  down 
more  suddenly :  it  abridges  the  length  of  his  life 
and  that  vigor  of  his  old  age,  which  (as  to  mere 
animal  power)  ought  to  be  the  object  of  his  preser- 
vation. I  consider  therefore  that,  in  the  beautiful 
provision  of  Providence  for  the  preservation  of 
human  Hfe,  the  sabbatical  appointment  is  not,  as  it 
has  been  sometimes  theologically  viewed,  simply  a 
precept  partaking  of  the  nature  of  a  political  insti- 
tution, but  that  it  is  to  be  numbered  amongst  the 
natural  duties,  if  the  preservation  of  hfe  be  admitted 
to  be  a  duty,  and  the  premature  destruction  of  it  a 
suicidal  act.  This  is  said  simply  as  a  physician, 
and  without  reference  at  all  to  the  theological  ques- 
tion ;  but  if  you  consider  further  the  effect  of  real 
Christianity,  namely,  peace  of  mind,  confiding  trust 
in  God,  and  good-will  to  man,  you  will  perceive  in 
this  source  of  renewed  vigor  to  the  mind,  and  through 
the  mind  to  the  body,  an  additional  spring  of  life 
imparted  from  this  higher  use  of  the  Sabbath  as  a 
holy  rest.  Were  I  to  pursue  this  part  of  the  question 
I  should  be  touching  on  the  duties  committed  to  the 
clergy ;  but  this  I  will  say,  that  researches  in  phy 
siology,  by  the  analogy  of  the  v/orking  of  Provi 


APPENDIX.  175 

dence  in  nature,  will  establish  theti'uth  of  revelation, 
and  consequently  show  that  the  Divine  command- 
ment is  not  to  be  considered  as  an  arbitrary- 
enactment,  but  as  an  appointment  necessary  to  man. 
This  is  the  position  in  which  I  would  place  it,  as 
contradistinguished  from  precept  and  legislation ;  I 
would  point  out  the  sabbatical  rest  as  necessary  to 
man,  and  that  the  great  enemies  of  the  Sabbath,  and 
consequently  the  enemies  of  man,  are  all  laborious 
exercises  of  the  body  or  mind,  and  dissipation,  which 
force  the  circulation  on  that  day  in  which  it  should 
repose ;  which  relaxation  from  the  ordinary  cares 
of  life,  the  enjoyment  of  this  repose  in  the  bosom  of 
one's  family,  with  the  religious  studies  and  duties 
which  the  day  enjoins,  not  one  of  which,  if  rightly 
exercised,  tends  to  abridge  life,  constitute  the  bene- 
ficial and  appropriate  services  of  the  day.  The 
student  of  nature,  in  becoming  the  student  of  Christ, 
will  find  in  the  principles  of  his  doctrine  and  law, 
and  in  the  practical  application  of  them,  the  only 
and  perfect  science  which  prolongs  the  present,  and 
perfects  the  future  life. 

In  your  own  practice  have  you  thought  it  neces 
sary  to  carry  on  the  whole  of  your  occupation  on  a 
Sunday  as  on  the  other  six  days  of  the  week  ? — 
Certainly  not. 

Do  you  think  your  patients  have  suffered  thereby  ? 
— Certainly  not. 

Of  course  in  extreme  cases  you  do  ? — I  considei 
that  the  two  officers  of  healing,  so  to  speak,  are  tho 
clergyman  and  the  medical  man ;  they  are  the  only 
two  classes  of  persons  called  on  to  labor  on  that  day 
for  the  benefit  of  the  community.  I  have  found  it 
essential  to  my  own  well-being  to  abridge  my  labor 
on  the  Sabbath  to  what  is  actually  necessary.     1 


176  APPENDIX. 

have  frequently  observed  the  premature  death  of 
medical  men  from  continued  exertion.  In  warm 
climates  and  in  active  service,  this  is  painfully- 
apparent. 

As  a  seventh  day  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the 
rest  of  man,  what  do  you  say  to  the  habits  of  cler- 
gymen, who  must  of  necessity  labor  on  the  seventh 
day  ? — I  have  advised  the  clergyman,  in  lieu  of  his 
Sabbath,  to  rest  one  day  in  the  week ;  it  forms  a 
continual  prescription  of  mine.  I  have  seen  many 
destroyed  by  their  duties  on  that  day,  and,  to  pre- 
serve others,  I  have  frcquently  suspended  them  for 
a  season  from  the  discharge  of  those  duties. 

So  that  the  clergyman  furnishes  an  illustration  of 
your  own  principle  as  to  the  ill  effects  of  working  on 
the  seventh  day  continually  ? — Yes,  certainly  :  } 
would  say  further,  that  quitting  the  grosser  evils  of 
mere  animal  living  from  over-stimulation  and  undue 
exercise  of  body,  the  working  of  the  mind  in  one 
continued  train  of  thought  is  destructive  of  life  in 
he  most  distinguished  class  of  society,  and  that 
senators  themselves  stand  in  need  of  reform  in  that 
particular.  I  have  observed  many  of  them  destroyed 
by  neglecting  this  economy  of  life. 

Therefore,  to  all  men  of  whatever  class,  who 
must  necessarily  be  occupied  six  days  in  the  week, 
you  recommend  them  to  abstain  on  the  seventh,  and 
in  the  course  of  life  they  would  gain  by  it  ? — As- 
suredly they  would,  by  giving  to  their  bodies  the 
repose,  and  to  their  minds  the  change  of  ideas  suited 
to  the  day,  for  which  it  was  appointed  by  unerring 
wisdom. 

And  in  fact  more  mental  work  would  be  accom- 
plished in  their  lives  ? — Certainly,  by  the  increased 
vigor  imparted. 


APPENDIX.  177 

A  human  being  is  so  constituted  that  he  needs  a 
day  of  rest  both  from  mental  and  bodily  labor  ? — 
Certainly.  You  have  drawn  the  inference  from  the 
tenor  of  my  evidence  and  argument,  which  I  wish 
to  leave  on  the  mind  of  the  Legislative  body. 

Extracts  from  the  Testimony  of  the  Rev.  John  Lee,  D.  D. 

It  may  not  perhaps  be  improper  to  state,  that 
during  the  earliest  times  of  the  Church  of  Scotland, 
after  the  Reformation,  the  Sabbath  was  not  observed 
w^ith  the  same  strictness  that  it  was  at  a  period 
somewhat  later.  It  is  very  commonlylDelieved,  that 
at  the  Reformation  in  Scotland,  the  leading  indi- 
viduals proceeded  in  general  to  an  extreme  as  oppo- 
site as  possible  to  the  practices  of  the  Church  which 
had  previously  existed,  and  became  righteous  over- 
much. I  find  this  was  by  no  means  the  case ;  in 
reality,  the  change  was  so  gradual,  and  in  some 
respects  so  imperfect,  that  at  so  late  a  period  as  the 
year  1574,  about  three  years  after  the  death  of 
Knox,  the  practice  of  performing  comedies  on  the 
Sabbath  had  not  been  altogether  discontinued,  and 
it  was  occasionally  allowed  to  proceed,  under  the 
countenance  and  approbation  of  some  of  those 
Church  Courts  that  might  have  been  expected  to  be 
the  most  rigid  in  refusing  to  allow  any  encroachment 
on  the  sanctity  of  the  Lord's  day.  (Here  Dr.  Lee 
referred  to  one  instance  from  a  record  of  the  kirk 
session  of  St.  Andrews.) 

Have  you  reason  to  believe  that  those  comedies 
acted  upon  the  Lord's  day  were  accompanied  with 
the  usual  profligacy  and  desecration  of  sacred  things 
which  is  generally  characteristic  of  them? — I  have 
no  reason  to  think  so  with  regard  to  this  comedy  ; 
on  the  contrary,  I  believe  it  was  intended  to  be  a 


178  APPENDIX. 

very  sober  kind  of  pastime,  approaching  somewha 
to  a  religious  observance  ;  probably  it  was  expectec 
to  be  edifying  to  the  people. 

Are  you  in  possession  of  any  evidence  that  would 
2;uide  the  Committee  to  a  history  of  the  transition 
from  the  old  to  the  new  practice  in  Scotland,  in 
reference  to  the  Sabbath  ? — I  beg  leave  to  produce 
to  the  Committee  extracts  from  the  books  of  several 
kirk-sessions,  for  the  purpose  of  showing  in  what 
manner  the  laws  against  Sabbath-breaking  were 
administered  by  those  Church  Courts  ;  it  is  needless 
to  enter  into  any  farther  detail.  (The  witness  de- 
livered in  the  same,  which  were  read.  They  show 
that  the  regulations  for  the  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath were  very  strict,  and  very  strictly  observed.) 

Will  you  go  on  to  state  what  effect  those  regula- 
tions produced  when  they  were  thus  strictly  and 
faithfully  acted  upon  ? — I  have  reason  to  believe  that 
the  effect  produced  was  highly  salutary ;  but  without 
entering  into  detail,  I  shall  feel  obliged  to  the  Com- 
mittee to  be  allowed  to  produce  an  extract  from 
Kirkton's  History,  which  is  understood  to  be  a  very 
authentic  memorial  of  the  time,  as  showing  what 
was  the  state  of  public  morals  when  those  rules  were 
most  strictly  observed.) 

The  following  is  the  extract : 

"  Now,  before  we  speak  of  the  alteration  court 
influences  made  upon  the  church  of  Scotland,  let  us 
consider  in  what  case  it  was  at  this  time.  There  be 
in  all  Scotland  some  900  paroches,  divided  into  68 
presby tries,  which  are  again  cantoned  into  14 
synods,  out  of  which,  by  a  solemn  legation  of  com- 
missioners from  every  presby  trie,  they  used  yearly 
to  constitute  a  national  assembly.  At  the  King's 
return  (in  1680)  every  paroche  hade  a  mmister 


APPENDIX.  17D 

every  village  hade  a  schoole,  every  family  almost 
hade  a  Bible,  yea,  in  most  of  the  countrey,  all  the 
children  of  age  could  read  the  Scriptures  and  were 
provided  of  Bibles,  either  by  the  parents  or  the 
ministers.  I  have  lived  many  years  in  a  paroche 
\v  here  I  never  heard  ane  oath,  and  you  might  have 
ridde  many  miles  before  you  hade  heard  any ;  also, 
you  could  not  for  a  great  part  of  the  countrey  have 
lodged  in  a  family  where  the  Lord  was  not  worship- 
ped by  reading,  singing,  and  pubUck  prayer.  Nobody 
complained  more  of  our  church  government  than 
our  taverners,  whose  ordinary  lamentation  was,  their 
trade  was  broke,  people  were  become  so  sober." 

To  this  description,  which  I  have  ground  for 
believing  is  chiefly  applicable  to  the  south  and  west 
of  Scotland,  with  which  the  writer  was  best  acquaint- 
ed, I  may  take  occasion  to  add,  that  I  have  great 
reason  to  think  that  the  Sabbath  was  observed  with 
the  greatest  strictness  and  solemnity  in  Scotland 
soon  after  the  period  of  the  Revolution  of  1688,  till 
about  the  year  1730. 

Have  you  reason  to  think  that  was  the  period  at 
which  the  Sabbath  was  best  observed  ? — Yes. 

To  what  cause  would  you  ascribe  that  marked 
and  visible  change? — To  the  very  great  vigilance, 
faithfulness,  and  zeal  with  which  both  ministers  and 
elders  performed  their  duty  towards  those  who  were 
placed  under  their  charge,  and  more  perhaps  than  to 
any  other  cause,  to  the  universal  practice  of  Bible 
education. 

At  that  period  the  system  of  parochial  education 
had  become  general,  had  it  not  ? — It  was  legalized 
about  the  year  1693;  but  though  in  the  Lowlands 
it  had  been  almost  universally  prevalent  before  the 
middle  of  the  17th  century,  I  cannot  venture  to  say 


180  APPENDIX. 

that  it  became  general,  in  those  parts  of  the  coun.ry 
that  required  it  most,  till  after  the  middle  of  the  1 8th 
century.  In  the  1758,  there  were  175  parishes  in 
the  Highlands  in  which  parochial  schools  had  never 
been  erected. 

Then  do  you  collect,  from  your  acquaintance  with 
the  history  of  that  period,  that  there  was  a  marked 
difference  between  those  parts  of  the  country  which 
had  come  under  the  operation  of  scriptural  educa- 
tion, and  those  parts  of  the  country  to  which  it  haa 
not  been  extended,  in  reference  to  the  observance  ol 
the  Sabbath  ? — There  is  the  strongest  evidence  thai 
there  was  a  marked  distinction  between  the  two; 
for  the  government  of  Charles  II.  could  find  no  such 
fit  instruments  of  the  severities  exercised  on  the 
Presbyterians  in  the  west,  as  ihe  Highlanders,  whose 
principles  and  manners  appeared  to  be  altogethei 
different.  With  such  horror  were  these  atrocities 
long  remembered  in  Ayrshire,  that  for  more  than 
fifty  years  after  the  revolution  in  1688,  it  is  said  that 
a  Jacobite  or  a  Roman  Catholic  was  not  there  to  be 
found ;  and  it  is  ascertained,  that  in  that  large  county 
not  so  much  as  one  man  could  be  induced  to  follow 
the  misfortunes  of  the  house  of  Stuart,  in  the  year 
1745.  It  is  also  recorded,  in  reports  almost  annually 
transmitted  to  the  General  Assembly,  that  in  several 
parts  of  the  Highlands  the  population  was  long  in 
a  state  of  almost  entire  heathenism. 

Up  to  what  period  ? — I  may  almost  say  till  after 
the  year  1745 ;  but  certainly  till  after  the  accession 
of  George  I. 

Has  there  been  any  favorable  change  in  the 
general  religious  condition  of  the  Highlands  of  Scot- 
land since  the  year  1730,  more  especially  with 
relation  to  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  1 — I 


APPENDIX.  181 

have  reason  to  think  that  there  has  been  a  favorable 
change,  which  indeed  had  commenced  some  years 
before  that  period. 

To  what  do  you  ascribe  this  favorable  change  ? — 
I  ascribe  it  partly  to  the  exertions  of  the  Society  in 
Scotland  for  Propagating  Christian  Knowledge, 
which  was  founded  about  the  year  1709,  and  which 
by  establishing  schools  for  teaching  to  read,  espe- 
cially the  Holy  Scriptures,  in  the  more  necessitous 
districts  of  the  Highlands,  has  proved  the  means  of 
greatly  increasing  the  religious  knowledge  of  the 
people,  and  consequently  of  increasing  the  rever- 
ence for  the  Lord's-day,  and  for  other  Divine  insti- 
tutions. 

Are  you  disposed  to  identify  the  general  improve- 
ment of  the  country,  religiously  and  morally  speak- 
ing, with  the  general  diffusion  of  scriptural  education  I 
— Most  certainly ;  I  think  there  is  the  strongest 
evidence  upon  that  subject,  evidence  that  cannot 
possibly  be  controverted  ;  it  is  found  in  a  document 
still  extant  and  in  print,  namely,  th^  dedication  of 
the  first  Scottish  edition  of  the  Bible  to  James  the 
Sixth,  which  edition  was  printed  in  the  year  1579, 
exactly  twenty  years  after  the  Reformation,  in  which 
it  is  expressly  stated,  that  so  great  had  been  the 
progress  of  religious  instruction,  particularly  in  that 
form,  in  a  country  where  less  than  forty  years 
before,  the  Bible  was  not  suffered  to  be  read,  that 
almost  every  house  possessed  a  copy  of  the  Bible, 
and  had  the  Bible  read  in  it.  It  is  ascertained  also^ 
that  in  the  time  of  the  Covenanters,  which  I  believe 
Jo  have  been  a  period  of  great  religious  light,  and 
of  great  strictness  and  purity  of  morals,  there  was 
scarcely  an  individual  in  the  Lov/lands  of  Scotland 
who  could  not  read,  and  who  was  not  in  the  habit  of 

Q 


1 82  APPENDIX. 

'reading  the  Bible,  and  scarcely  a  family  in  which 
the  worship  of  God  was  not  regularly  performed, 
both  by  celebrating  !he  praises  of  God,  reading  the 
Scriptures,  and  prayer.  Such  a  description  could 
not  possibly  apply  to  the  Highlands  ;  at  that  period 
there  was  no  such  thing  as  a  translation  of  the  Bible 
into  the  native  language  of  the  Highlands.  A  con- 
siderable supply  of  Gaelic  or  Irish  Bibles  was  furnish- 
ed to  them  in  the  year  1690,  at  the  expense  of  the 
Flon.  Robert  Boyle ;  soon  afterwards  the  Book  of 
Psalms,  the  Catechism,  and  the  Confession  of  Faith, 
were  published  in  Gaelic;  but  there  was  no  edition 
even  of  the  New  Testament  fit  for  being  used  in 
schools,  or  indeed  for  any  purpose,  till  1767,  and 
from  that  period  a  great  improvement  may  be  dated. 
After  the  Revolution,  I  find  from  the  accounts  of  the 
schools  in  towns  and  Lowland  parishes,  some  of 
which  I  have  in  my  possession,  that  in  the  periodical 
examinations  which  took  place,  there  are  regular 
returns  of  the  numbers  of  the  children  who  were 
reading  different  books,  some  of  them  the  New 
Testament,  but  the  greater  part  reading  the  entire 
Bible,  and  that  was  the  period  certainly  when  the 
Sabbath  was  most  strictly  observed,  and  when, 
according  to  all  the  accounts  that  can  be  best  relied 
upon,  the  morals  of  the  people  were  likewise  the 
most  healthy. 

Then  according  to  the  opinion  which  you  have 
expressed,  it  would  seem  that  you  ascribe  the  ground- 
ing of  the  principles  of  the  Reformation  in  the  mind 
of  the  Scottish  population  to  the  general  diffusion  of 
the  Scriptures,  and  the  extension  of  Scriptural 
schools  ? — Certainly,  to  that  cause,  in  combination 
with  the  faithful  preaching  of  the  Word. 

Do  you  conceive  that  the  disposition  to  sanctify 


APPENDIX.  183 

the  Sabbath  bears  a  proportion  to  the  religious 
instruction  of  a  people  ? — Surely ;  indeed,  I  never 
can  conceive  the  Sabbath  to  be  conscientiously 
observed,  observed  from  principle,  unless  the  prac- 
tice is  founded  in  the  knowledge  of  the  doctrines  of 
religion,  and  the  recognition  of  the  Divine  authority 
of  the  Old  and  New  Testament. 

Can  you  say  from  your  knowledge  of  history, 
whether  the  description  given  by  a  celebrated 
NOVELIST*  of  the  period  of  the  Covenanters  is 
historically  correct,  and  whether  their  precise  man- 
ners were  as  strongly  marked  in  contrast  to  the 
other  party  as  that  ingenious  writer  would  have  us 
to  suppose? — Most  certainly  that  description  is  not 
historically  correct ;  there  never  was  such  gloom 
attending  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  in  Scotland 
as  that  celebrated  writer  alleges.  The  Sabbath, 
though  observed  with  the  greatest  reverence,  was  a 
day  rather  of  sober  and  cheerful  piety  than  of  any 
painful  restraint.  It  may  be,  as  the  question  has 
been  asked,  not  improper  to  state,  that  the  greater 
part  of  the  description  applying  to  the  religion  and 
morals  of  that  class  of  persons  in  Scotland  who  are 
known  by  the  name  of  Covenanters,  must  have  been 
supplied  almost  altogether  by  the  imagination  of  the 
writer.  He  seems  equally  to  have  forgotten  the 
state  of  things  before  the  Restoration  of  Charles  11., 
and  the  state  of  things  which  supervened  upon  that 
event,  which  was  certainly  hailed  as  joyfully  by  the 
Presbyterians  of  Scotland  as  by  any  other  class  of 
His  Majesty's  subjects,  although  they  had  great 
cause  afterwards  to  complain  of  the  harsh  treatment 
which  they  experienced,  in  violation  of  the  solemn 

*  Sir  Walter  Scott 


184  APPENDIX. 

promises  which  that  monarch  had  repeatedly  made 
to  them.  But  on  that  subject,  as  I  believe  tlie 
authority  of  the  celebrated  writer  referred  to  is  often 
thought  almost  the  best  that  can  be  quoted,  I  think 
it  right  to  state  that  he  seems  to  have  been  utterly 
unacquainted  both  with  the  observances  of  the  Pres- 
Oyterian  Church,  and  those  of  the  Episcopalian 
church  which  succeeded  it.  He  imagines,  lor  in- 
stance, that  the  Liturgy  w^as  observed  after  the 
Restoration  of  Charles  11.,  whereas,  in  point  of  fact, 
the  only  change  that  took  place  in  the  worship  in 
the  churches  consisted  in  the  discontinuance  of  the 
Directory  and  the  adoption  of  three  Articles,  which 
had  been  thought  offensive  in  the  days  of  Knox, 
namely,  the  use  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  repetition 
of  the  Creed  by  parents  when  they  brought  their 
children  to  be  baptized,  and  the  use  of  a  doxology 
in  connexion  with  the  singing  of  psalms.  These 
were  the  only  marked  deviations  from  the  worship 
which  had  been  previously  observed  ;  and  the  whole 
objection  of  the  people  of  Scotland  arose  from  their 
belief  that  the  hierarchy  and  His  Majesty's  claim  of 
supremacy  in  matters  ecclesiastical  were  not  divinely 
warranted,  and  that  the  power  of  the  Church, 
patronized  by  the  King,  had  been  exercised  formerly, 
and  they  were  afraid  would  still  continue  to  be 
exercised,  in  a  manner  inconsistent  with  the  full 
enjoyment  of  their  religious  privileges.  I  jpefer  to 
these  particulars  merely  as  specimens  of  the  inaccu- 
racy of  the  descriptions  which  have  probably  made 
an  impression  not  easily  effaced,  though  it  has  done 
great  injustice  to  the  characters  of  an  oppressed  and 
persecuted  race,  who,  derided  as  they  have  been  as 
feeble-minded  fanatics,  did  more  than  any  oiher 
body  of  men  both  to  maintain  the  interests  of  reli 


APPENDIX.  185 

gion,  and  to  secure  for  their  posterity  the  enjoyment 
of  civil  hberty. 

But,  in  point  of  fact,  there  was  neither  in  the  form 
of  v/orship  on  the  Lord's-day,  nor  in  the  general 
tone  of  the  preaching,  that  marked  difference  which 
that  same  author  would  have  us  to  suppose  is  so 
strong  ? — There  was  a  difference,  but  not  such  as  he 
represents. 

In  point  of  fact,  to  the  one  party  has  been  at- 
tributed the  manners  and  feelings  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  while,  with  regard  to  the  other  party,  the 
manners  and  habits  of  the  seventeenth  century  are 
characterized  ? — Surely ;  but  at  the  same  time  it  is 
right  to  observe,  that  there  was  a  very  marked  and 
glaring  distinction  between  the  character  of  the 
ministers  of  the  one  denomination  and  of  the  other, 
at  the  period  referred  to  ;  and  in  my  comprehension, 
the  description  given  by  Bishop  Burnet,  who  could 
scarcely  be  suspected  of  undue  partiality  to  Presby- 
terians, is  in  some  respects  one  of  the  most  candid 
which  is  to  be  found.  The  strictest  Presbyterian, 
in  his  anxiety  to  defend  the  outraged  and  insulted 
character  of  his  forefathers,  may  almost  be  content 
to  refer  to  such  an  honest  chronicler  as  Burnet.  He 
owns,  that  the  Presbyterian  ministers  who  were 
turned  out  of  their  livings  in  1662,  were  grave, 
solemn,  diligent,  and  faithful,  whereas  the  new 
incumbents  put  in  the  places  of  the  ejected  preachers 
were  generally  very  mean  and  despicable,  the  worst 
preachers  he  ever  heard,  ignorant  to  a  reproach, 
many  of  them  openly  vicious,  a  disgrace  to  their 
order,  and  to  the  sacred  functions,  and  indeed  the 
dreg  and  refuse  of  the  northern  parts. 

The  effect  produced  by  legislation  upon  the  moral 
and  religious  habits  of  the  people  of  the  Lowlands 
Q2 


J  "So  APPENDIX. 

of  Scotland  has  been  stated  by  you  up  to  the  year 
of  1730 ;  will  you  be  so  good  as  to  continue  your 
statement  with  reference  to  later  periods  ? — I  am  not 
able  to  ascertain  that  some  of  the  practices  to  which 
I  l»ave  referred,  particularly  those  of  searching  the 
more  populous  districts  of  the  parishes,  in  towns 
especially,  during  the  time  of  Divine  service,  and 
calling  the  absentees  to  account  for  their  neglect  of 
religious  duty,  and  for  their  profanation  of  the  Sab 
bath,  continued  later  than  the  year  1730 :  I  hav 
been  able  to  trace  it  down  only  to  that  period. 

Do  you  know  when  the  Sabbath  ceased  to  be 
observed  with  the  same  strictness  and  solemnity  by 
which  it  had  been  so  long  distinguished  in  Scotland  1 
— I  have  reason  to  think  that  a  very  considerable 
change  for  the  worse,  took  place  more  than  forty 
years  ago.  I  have  not  the  same  certain  sources  of 
information  with  regard  to  the  period  which  inter- 
vened between  the  years  1730  and  1780. 

But  from  the  period  of  more  than  forty  years 
ago,  is  it  your  opinion  that  there  has  been  a  gradual 
falling  off  in  the  observance  of  that  day  ? — Yes,  I 
think  so,  from  many  conversations  which  J  have  had 
with  most  intelligent  persons,  both  those  who  are 
ministers  of  the  Church,  and  other  pious  individuals 
throughout  the  country ;  and  I  perceive,  in  a  curious 
paper  published  by  the  late  Mr.  Creech,  an  eminent 
bookseller,  and  at  one  time  chief  magistrate  of 
Edinburgh  (which  may  be  seen  in  the  Statistical 
Account  of  Scotland,)  that  in  Edinburgh  particular- 
ly, the  defection  was  very  strongly  marked  about 
the  year  1783.  Mr.  Creech  contrasts  the  religious 
and  moral  character  of  the  towns-people  in  1763 
with  that  of  1783,  in  the  following  terms : — 

"In  1763,  it  was  fashionable  to  go  to  church,  and 


APPENDIX.  197 

people  were  interested  about  religion.  Sunday  was 
strictly  observed  by  all  ranks  as  a  day  of  devotion, 
and  it  was  disgraceful  to  be  seen  in  the  streets  during 
the  time  of  public  worship.  Families  attended 
church  with  their  children  and  servants,  and  family 
worship  was  frequent.  In  1783,  attendance  on 
church  was  greatly  neglected,  especially  by  the 
men ;  Sunday  was  by  many  made  a  day  of  relaxa- 
tion, and  young  people  were  allowed  to  stroll  about 
at  all  hours.  Families  thought  it  ungenteel  to  take 
their  domestics  to  church  with  them.  The  streets 
were  far  from  being  void  of  people  in  the  time  of 
public  worship,  and  in  the  evenings  were  frequently 
loose  and  riotous,  particularly  owing  to  bands  of 
apprentice  boys  and  young  lads.  Family  worship 
was  almost  disused.  In  no  respect  were  the  man- 
ners of  1763  and  1783  more  remarkable,  than  in 
the  decency,  dignity,  and  delicacy  of  the  one  period, 
compared  with  the  looseness,  dissipation,  and  licen- 
tiousness of  the  other.  Many  people  ceased  to 
blush  at  what  would  formerly  have  been  reproved  as 
a  crime. 

"In  1763,  masters  took  charge  of  their  appren- 
tices, and  kept  them  under  their  eye  in  their  own 
houses.  In  1783,  few  masters  would  receive  ap- 
prentices to  stay  in  their  houses  ;  and  yet  from  them 
an  important  part  of  succeeding  society  is  to  be 
formed  :  if  they  attended  their  hours  of  business, 
masters  took  no  further  charge.  The  rest  of  the 
time  might  be  passed  (as  too  frequently  happens)  in 
vice  and  debauchery;  hence  they  become  idle, 
insolent,  and  dishonest.  In  1791,  the  practice  had 
become  still  more  prevalent.  Reformation  of 
manners,  to  be  general  or  effectual,  must  begin  in 
families. 


188  appe:«dix. 

"  In  1763,  the  clergy  visited,  catechised,  and 
mstructed  the  families  within  their  respective  parish- 
es, in  the  principles  of  moraUty,  Christianity,  and 
the  relative  duties  of  life.  In  1783,  visiting  and 
catechising  were  disused  (except  by  a  very  few,)  and 
since  continue  to  be  so;  nor  perhaps  would  the 
clergy  now  be  received  with  welcome  on  such  an 
occasion. 

"  In  1763,  the  question  respecting  the  morality  of 
stage-plays  was  much  agitated.  By  those  who 
attended  the  theatre  even  without  scruple,  Saturday 
night  was  thought  the  most  improper  in  the  week 
for  going  to  the  play.  In  1783,  the  morality  of 
stage-plays,  or  their  effects  on  society,  were  not 
thought  of.  The  practice  of  taking  a  box  for  the 
Saturday  night  through  the  season,  was  much  prac- 
tised by  boarding-mistresses,  so  that  there  could  be 
no  choice  of  the  play,  but  the  young  ladies  could 
only  take  what  was  set  before  them  by  the  manager. 
The  galleries  never  failed  to  applaud  what  they  for- 
merly would  have  hissed,  as  improper  in  sentiment 
or  decorum. 

"  In  1763,  hair-dressers  were  few,  and  hardly 
permitfi  d  to  dress  hair  on  Sundays,  and  many  of 
them  voluntarily  declined  it.  In  1783,  hair-dressers 
were  more  than  trebled  in  number,  and  their  busiest 
day  was  Sunday. 

"  In  1763,  the  revenue  arising  from  the  distillery 
in  Scotland  amounted  to  4,739/.  In  1783,  to 
192;000Z. 

"  In  no  respect  was  the  sobriety  and  decorum  of 
the  lower  ranks  in  1763  more  remarkable,  than  by 
contrasting  them  with  the  riot  and  licentiousness  of 
1783,  particularly  on  Sundays  and  holidays." 

As  a  proof  that  the  profanation  of  the  Sabbath 


APPENDIX.  1S9 

nad  been  increasing  in  Scotland  before  the  year 
1794,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  that  year  thought  it  necessary  to  publish  an 
admonition  on  the  subject ;  and  in  1795  the  Geneml 
Assembly  evidently  entertained  an  opinion  that  some 
new  legislative  enactment  had  become  necessary  ; 
for  the  records  bear,  that  "  the  Assembly  instructed 
the  procurator  to  watch  the  introduction  of  any  Bill 
respecting  the  due  observation  of  the  Lord's  day ;  to 
correspond  with  the  introducer  of  such  Bill ;  to  trans- 
mit to  him  a  copy  of  the  admonition  and  informa- 
tion on  the  subject,  published  by  authority  of  the  last 
Assembly ;  and  to  request  his  particular  attention  to 
the  state  of  Scotland  respecting  that  subject." 

Can  you  assign  the  causes  which  appear  to  have 
been  instrumental  m  producing  this  change  1 — I 
think  that  one  of  the  causes  to  which  I  may  refer, 
is  that  which  has  been  recently  adverted  to,  namely, 
the  relaxation  of  the  discipline  of  the  church.  An- 
other cause  I  conceive  to  have  been  the  progressive 
decline  of  Scriptural  instruction  throughout  the 
schools  in  Scotland.  I  think  another  cause  must 
have  been  the  increased  communication  with  Eng- 
land and  Ireland,  and  the  gradual  introduction  of 
new  habits  in  consequence  of  that  more  frequent  in- 
tercourse. Another  powerful  cause  I  conceive  to 
have  been  the  influence  of  infidel  publications,  and 
the  substitution  of  frivolous  reading,  for  the  grave 
and  improving  mstruction  conveyed  in  the  writings 
of  the  popular  divines,  with  which  the  peasantiy  of 
Scotland,  as  well  as  the  mechanics  in  towns,  had 
previously  been  very  familiar.  Another  source  of 
this  change  I  conceive  to  have  been  the  ensnaring  of 
men  of  rank  and  official  station.  I  beg  also  to  men- 
ion,  in  some  cases,  probably,  though  I  trust  not 


1 90  APPENDIX 

generally,  the  decreasing  attention  to  the  practice  of 
parochial  visitation  by  the  ministers  of  parishes.  But 
on  this  head  I  must  observe,  that  this  decreasing  at- 
tention must  not  always  be  considered  as  having  been 
the  fault  of  the  ministers.  It  was  found  that  persons 
of  higher  station,  in  many  districts  of  the  country, 
were  often  of  a  different  creed  from  the  established 
church,  and  therefore  they  were  not  so  accessible  to 
the  ministers  as  their  predecessors  had  generally 
been  in  former  times ;  at  the  same  time  many  of  the 
laboring  classes  in  populous  districts  had  seceded 
from  the  church,  not  only  in  consequence  of  dissat- 
isfaction with  the  ministrations  of  the  established 
clergy,  or  in  consequence  of  a  conviction  that  the 
church  had  degenerated,  but  very  much  because  they 
had  not  sufficient  accommodation  in  the  parish 
churches,  a  circumstance  to  which  I  shall  advert  un- 
der another  head.  When  so  great  a  proportion  both 
of  the  higher  and  of  the  lower  ranks,  ceased  to  be 
members  of  the  establishment,  it  is  natural  to  sup- 
pose that  the  visits  of  the  ministers,  though  not  al- 
together discontinued,  would  be  less  efficacious.  I 
may  add,  that  at  about  the  period  to  which  I  refer, 
a  great  change  took  place  in  the  distribution  of 
the  population  of  Scotland,  partly  in  consequence 
of  the  enlargement  of  farms,  and  partly  from  tlie 
introduction  of  machinery  both  in  the  operations  of 
agriculture  and  the  other  arts.  In  connexion  with 
this,  I  beg  to  advert  to  the  neglect,  as  I  must  con- 
sider it,  of  the  government  of  the  country,  to  pro- 
vide sufficient  accommodation  in  churches  for  the 
rapidly  increasing  population,  and  also  to  provide 
adequately  for  the  education  of  the  poor.  I  may 
also  take  notice  of  a  circumstance  which  must  have 
materially  affected  the  observanco  of  the  Sabbath, 


APPENDIX.  191 

namely,  the  close  confinement  and  severe  labor  oi' 
persons  (both  children  and  adults)  employed  in  man- 
ufactories during  the  week,  tempting  them  to  seek 
for  relaxation  on  the  Lord's  day.  I  think  I  may  also 
add,  as  one  of  the  occasions  of  Sabbath  profana- 
tion, the  turn  for  political  discussion  among  all  classes 
of  people,  which  was  introduced  during  the  Ameri- 
can war,  and  still  more  at  the  time  of  the  French 
revolution,  and  which  abstracted  the  minds  even  of 
some  of  the  most  sober,  quiet,  and  peaceable  of  the 
population  from  those  more  m.omentous  subjects 
which  had  previously  occupied  a  greater  share  of 
their  attention,  I  think  another  very  powerful  cause 
of  the  lamentable  change  that  took  place,  was  the 
influence  of  military  habits  during  the  war  which 
began  in  1793,  particularly  during  the  early  period 
of  that  war.  Towns  and  villages  were  generally 
crowded  with  troops  ;  there  was  much  consequent 
depravity  among  their  juvenile  companions,  both 
male  and  female ;  Sunday  evening  parades  were 
almost  universal,  wherever  troops  w^ere  stationed  ; 
there  were  performances  of  martial  music  on  the 
evening  of  the  Lord's  day,  attracting  great  crowds 
of  people  from  their  bouses  ;  this  was  often  followed 
by  adjournment  to  taverns,  or  to  equally  ensnaring 
rural  walks  under  the  cloud  of  night ;  and  to  the 
associations  that  were  thus  formed,  I  believe  many 
may  date  the  corruption  of  their  principles  and 
habits;  and  the  general  tendency  of  the  circum- 
stances to  which  I  have  now  alluded,  was  greatly  to 
familiarize  the  people  of  Scotland  to  a  mode  of  ob- 
serving the  Sabbath  altogether  different  from  that  to 
which  they  had  been  accustomed  in  earlier  times. 
As  another  source  of  the  change  to  which  I  have 
referred,  I  may  state  what  must  already  be  under 


192  APPENDIX. 

tho  view  of  the  committee,  the  facilities  of  travel- 
ling  consequent  on  the  improvement  of  roads,  the 
maltiplication  of  public  conveyances,  the  frequency 
of  communication  by  post,  and,  at  a  later  period,  the 
introduction  of  steam  navigation.  With  regard  to 
stage-coaches,  it  may  be  right  to  notice  that  the 
practice  of  travelling  in  stage-coaches  in  Scotland 
on  the  Lord's  day  (with  the  exception  of  the  mail,) 
has  hitherto  prevailed  to  a  very  limited  extent,  but 
1  observe  it  creeping  in  Edinburgh  in  a  form  which 
T  rather  apprehend  may  prevent  that  check  being 
imposed  on  it,  which  in  other  circumstances  would 
probably  be  thought  necessary.  I  find,  that  among 
the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  whose  families  in  sum- 
mer  resort  to  villages  and  small  towns  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, for  sea-bathing  or  other  purposes,  a  num- 
ber are  in  the  habit  of  coming  to  Edinburgh  on  the 
morning  of  the  Sabbath  in  stage-coaches.  As  the 
object  of  travelling  on  those  occasions  appears  to  be 
a  good  one,  I  suspect  that  it  may  in  this  way  be  al- 
lowed gradually  and  almost  insensibly  to  be  intro- 
duced to  a  much  greater  extent  than  it  would  Otlver- 
wise  have  been. 

I  may  also  take  notice  of  the  great  change  which 
IS  taking  place  in  the  mode  of  living  in  Scotland, 
particularly  among  people  in  business,  who  formerly 
were  in  the  habit  of  takmg  their  sei'vants  and  ap- 
prentices to  church  along  with  them,  and  also  of 
exercising  a  strict  inspection  over  their  conduct 
catechising  and  otherwise  instructing  them  in  the 
evenings  of  the  Sabbath,  but  who  now  too  often  al- 
low them  to  wander  as  they  will.  A  very  great  evil 
has  been  experienced  in  Edinburgh,  and  I  believe  in 
many  other  large  towns,  in  consequence  of  the  lib- 
erty of  visiting  and  walking,  which  is  almost  uni- 


APPE^'DIX.  193 

v'ersally  allov/ed  to  servants  on  Sundays,  by  tlicir 
masters  and  mistresses,  who  do  not  seem  to  recol- 
lect that  that  is  a  day  which  God  has  appropriated 
to  himself,  and  which  is  not  at  the  disjjosal  of  any 
human  being.  I  might  here  notice,  as  a  cause  of 
Sabbath  profanation,  the  great  multiplication  of  pub- 
lic houses,  and  the  facility  of  gratifying  intemperate 
propensities  in  consequence  of  the  lowering  of  the 
duty  on  spirits.  But  I  have  no  doubt  these  circum- 
stances must  be  fully  under  the  view  of  the  commit- 
tee. The  only  other  particular  which  I  shall  men- 
tion as  a  cause  of  the  profanation  of  the  Sabbath,  is 
the  great  increase  of  newspaper  and  other  periodical 
publications,  which  are  sometimes  printed  on  the 
Sunday,  and  which  are  very  generally  read  by  va- 
rious classes  of  people  on  that  day,  so  as  to  with- 
draw them  from  those  religious  exercises  which  are 
the  proper  occupation  of  the  Christian  Sabbath,  as 
well  as  constituents  of  the  purest  enjoyment. 

Is  it  a  fact  that  any  periodicals  are  printed  and 
published  in  Edinburgh  on  the  Sunday  ? — The  fact 
is,  that  there  are  no  periodicals  published  of  any 
class  in  Edinburgh  on  the  Sunday,  so  far  as  I  know, 
but  some  of  the  newspapers  which  are  published  on 
Monday  morning,  are  printed  on  the  Sunday,  or  at 
least  occasionally  in  a  great  measure  printed  on  that 
day.  I  shall  state  two  facts  which  came  to  my  know- 
ledge very  recently,  as  illustrative  of  that  subject. 
About  nine  months  ago,  a  person  who  regularly  at- 
tends my  church,  applied  to  me  for  the  baptism  of 
his  child.  Having  reason  to  believe  that  the  man 
was  of  a  good  character,  and  regular  in  the  discharge 
of  all  the  private  duties  of  life,  I  could  have  no  ob- 
jection to  administer  the  ordinance,  except  one,  and 
it  was  this,  that  be  was  not  a  communicant.  I  asked 
R 


194  APPENDIX. 

him  how  It  was  that  he  lived  in  the  neglect  of  that 
religious  duty ;  he  stated  to  me  that  he  had  the  strong- 
est impression  of  the  divine  obligation  of  every  pro- 
fessing Christian  to  keep  up  the  remembrance  of  the 
death  of  Christ  in  that  solemn  ordinance,  but  he  felt 
that  from  the  mode  of  life  which  he  pursued,  he  was 
in  his  own  apprehension  not  warranted  to  avail  him- 
self of  that  privilege.  Asking  him  what  he  meant, 
I  was  told,  that  being  a  printer,  he  was  habitually 
required  to  work  on  the  Lord's  day  ;  though  he  felt 
the  greatest  scruple  of  conscience,  he  had  never  ven- 
tured to  give  up  his  employment,  and  on  that  ac- 
count alone  he  declined  to  become  a  communicant. 
On  making  further  inquiry,  I  found  that  a  very  con- 
siderable number  of  persons  are  employed  in  that 
way  almost  every  Lord's  day,  not  during  the  whole 
day,  but  beginning  soon  after  divine  service  is  over 
in  the  evening,  about  five  or  six  o'clock ;  thus  being 
altogether  abstracted  from  the  charge  and  inspec- 
tion of  a  young  family,  and  thus  being  also  tempted 
to  spend  a  part  of  that  day  in  sleep,  which  other- 
wise they  would  be  disposed  to  spend  in  attendance 
upon  their  religious  duties.  The  effect  of  it  upon 
many,  must  be  to  withdraw  them  altogether  from 
attendance  upon  divine  ordinances.  I  beg  just  to 
state  another  case,  which  shows  that  the  evil  has 
gone  as  far  north  as  Inverness.  Within  these  last 
three  weeks,  as  being  a  member  of  the  Society  in 
Scotland  for  Propagating  Christian  Knowledge,  I 
was  applied  to  by  a  man  to  be  examined,  with  a  view 
to  an  appointment  as  a  teacher  under  that  society. 
1  asked  whether  he  had  been  accustomed  to  teach  ; 
he  told  me  no,  he  had  been  a  printer,  but  he  could 
not  continue  in  the  employment  in  which  he  had 
been  engaged  for  the  last  ten  years  nearly,  because 


APPENDIX.  1 95 

he  was  now  required  either  to  work  on  the  Lord's 
day,  or  else  to  give  up  his  employment ;  and  this 
person  was  employed  on  a  newspaper  which  is  print- 
ed only  weekly,  on  the  Tuesday.  . 

Js  it  not  your  opinion,  then,  that  the  publication 
of  periodicals  on  the  Monday  morning,  tends  greatly 
to  the  breach  of  the  Sabbath  in  Edinburgh  ? — They 
tend,  I  think,  in  a  considerable  degree. 

Can  you  give  any  information  in  regard  to  the 
practice  of  delivering  letters  and  papers  at  the  gene- 
ral Post-office  in  Edinburgh  on  the  Sabbath-day  ] — 
It  is  not  carried,  by  any  means,  to  a  great  extent  in 
Edinburgh :  the  time  is  very  limited ;  I  think  there 
are  two  hours  in  the  day  at  wliich  persons  may  have 
letters  by  calling  for  them,  but  I  scarcely  think  there 
is  any  town  in  Scotland  where  there  is  less  of  the 
delivery  of  letters  on  the  Sabbath  than  there  is  in 
Edinburgh. 

Have  you  any  remarks  to  make  upon  newspapers, 
or  periodicals  that  are  usually  read  on  the  Sunday  ? — 
The  injurious  effect  of  the  practice  must  be  so  obvi- 
ous, that  I  scarcely  think  it  necessary  to  make  any 
remark,  except  this,  that  I  have  observed  of  late  that 
some  publications  have  been  introduced  with  a  view 
of  obviating  the  evils  arising;  from  that  kind  of  read- 
ing,  and  I  am  rather  apprehensive  that  some  of  the 
very  papers  which  have  been  intended  to  counteract 
the  evil,  may  prove  a  cause  of  extending  it,  for  1 
observe  one  paper  in  particular  which  set  out  pro- 
fessedly as  a  paper  calculated  to  convey  religious 
instruction,  which,  on  examination,  I  perceive  con- 
sists now,  whatever  it  might  have  done  at  first,  chiefly 
of  extracts  from  books  which  are  the  very  reverse 
of  religious. 

It  being  well  known  that  there  is  no  Sunday  de- 


196  APPENDIX. 

livery  of  letters  at  all  events  in  London,  might  not 
the  same  practice  be  observed  at  the  post-offices  in 
Scotland,  without  consequences  injurious  to  the  com- 
munity 1 — Most  certainly  ;  and  I  think  it  most  desi- 
rable that  there  should  be  no  such  thing.  But  1  may 
state,  as  this  question  has  been  asked,  that  in  many 
of  the  towns  in  Scotland  the  letters  are  distributed 
on  the  Sunday ;  I  mean  they  are  carried  about  in 
the  same  manner  as  they  are  on  other  days ;  and, 
.ndeed,  in  many  places  of  the  country,  they  are  much 
more  delivered  on  that  day  than  on  any  other ;  for 
people  living  at  a  distance  from  post  towns,  when 
they  go  to  church,  avail  themselves  of  that  opportu- 
nity of  getting  probably  all  the  letters  that  have  been 
sent  for  them  during  the  week.  Not  having  antici- 
pated any  inquiries  on  this  subject,  I  cannot  be  very 
exact  in  point  of  dates  ;  but  in  looking  lately  at  the 
Acts  of  the  General  Assembly,  about  the  year  1759, 
I  noticed  that  there  had  been  strong  remonstrances 
against  the  travelhng  of  the  post  in  Scotland,  when 
it  was  first  introduced ;  and  I  have  also  learnt  from 
some  of  the  magazines,  that  petitions  against  that 
innovation  were  sent  to  government  from  many 
places,  and  particularly  from  Glasgow,  the  greatest 
commercial  town  in  Scotland.  This  was  perhaps  one 
of  the  first  modes  in  which  government,  during  the 
last  century,  not  only  countenanced,  but  to  a  certain 
extent  enjoined,  the  violation  of  the  rest  of  the  Sab- 
bath in  Scotland. 

****** 

Do  you,  by  the  decline  of  Scriptural  education, 
allude  to  the  departure  from  the  old  Scottish  system 
of  making  the  Bible  the  first  school-book  ? — I  allude 
to  the  partial  cessation  of  the  practice  of  making  the 


APPENDIX.  19'* 

Bible  one  of  the  books  always  read  in  the  schools 
for  the  common  branches  of  education. 

You  are  aware  that  in  the  poorer  part  of  the  coun- 
try, or  among  the  poorer  members  of  a  school,  if 
there  was  no  other  book,  the  children  had  at  least 
the  Bible  even  to  learn  to  spell  upon  1 — That  does 
not  come  within  my  knowledge ;  I  am  not  aware  of 
any  part  of  the  country  in  which  no  other  book  is 
used  than  the  Bible ;  but  I  know  that  the  common 
practice  formerly  was  to  begin  to  learn  to  read  in  the 
Shorter  Catechism,  then  the  Book  of  Proverbs,  then 
the  New  Testament,  and  lastly  the  whole  Bible.  I 
never  knew  any  children  learn  to  read  more  rapidly 
than  in  that  way.  I  was  so  taught  myself.  This 
method  has  many  advantages.  Children,  instead  of 
wasting  their  time  in  spelling  unmeaning  syllables, 
can  from  the  first,  attach  a  signification  to  every 
sound.  The  sound  is  from  the  first  moment  a  ve- 
hicle of  important  truth.  Good  principles  are  thus 
associated  with  the  very  dawn  of  tuition.  With  chil- 
dren who  are  thus  taught,  reading  is  not  merely  the 
preparation  for  acquiring  future  instruction  througli 
the  medium  of  letters,  it  is  all  along  the  direct  means 
of  communicating  sound  and  saving  instruction,  with- 
out any  alio}'  of  error.  I  hope  I  shall  not  be  accused 
of  wandering  from  the  question,  if  I  take  this  oppor- 
tunity of  remarking,  that  what  has  often  been  called 
the  mother  wit  of  the  people  of  Scotland,  had  its 
origin  in  the  practice  of  reading  the  Proverbs  of 
Solomon,  which  formerly  might  well  be  called  by 
every  child  in  the  Lowlands,  "  the  law  of  his  mo- 
ther," for  the  mother  was  for  the  most  part  the  in- 
structress, and  it  was  quite  practicable  for  the  mother 
to  superintend  this  part  of  her  children's  education, 
without  suspending  the  ordinary  occupations  of  do- 
R2 


198  APPENDIX. 

mestic  industry :  she  could  sew  or  knit,  and  at  tho 
same  time  hear  her  children  read,  without  almost 
any  risk  of  suffering  a  mistake  to  pass  unnoticed, 
because  the  only  books  employed,  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  were  those  with  which  her  familiarity 
had  been  daily  increasing,  in  consequence  of  the 
constant  practice  of  reading  a  chapter  morning  and 
evening  in  family  worship.  It  was  equally  impossi- 
ble for  her  to  suffer  any  blunder,  in  reading  the 
Shorter  Catechism,  to  pass  undetected  and  unchal- 
lenged :  this  was  the  first  book  ;  and  though  it  is 
often  alleged  to  be  unintelligible  to  children,  I  know 
well  from  experience  and  long  observation,  that  it  is 
not  unprofitable  to  have  it  indelibly  imprinted  on  the 
memory.  I  have  great  satisfaction  in  remembering 
that  the  first  lesson  which  I  learnt  was  not  a  series 
of  insignificant,  syllables  or  a  string  of  idle  words, 
but  this  great  and  fundamental  principle,  "  Man's 
chief  end  is  to  glorify  God,  and  to  enjoy  Him  lor 
ever."  And  the  second  was  not  less  important :  "  The 
word  of  God,  contained  in  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments, is  the  only  rule  givei)  to  direct  us  how  we 
may  glorify  and  enjoy  him."  1  do  not  know  how 
mere  prudential  maxims,  or  rules  of  morality,  can 
be  satisfactorily  and  securely  established,  otherwise 
than  on  the  basis  of  Scripture ;  but  I  hold  it  to  be 
the  first  duty  of  every  man  who  believes  in  divine 
revelation,  to  impress  on  all  his  fellow-creatures  the 
momentous  principle  which  I  have  just  recited,  and 
which  I  think  sufficiently  intelligible  by  a  little  child, 
that  all  the  worth  and  happiness  attainable  in  time, 
and  all  the  hopes  of  eternal  life,  are  gained  by  the 
knowledge  and  belief  of  the  Word  of  God. 

THE  END. 


